Ralph Yarl – update: Andrew Lester’s family ‘disgusted’ by shooting as stand your ground laws in spotlight

The family of suspected shooter Andrew Lester have said they are “disgusted” by the 84-year-old’s shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl.

Mr Lester’s grandson Klint Ludwig told CNN that “myself and my family stand with Ralph Yarl and seeking justice”.

“This is a horrible tragedy, it never should have happened,” he said.

Mr Ludwig also revealed details about his grandfather’s “racist comments” and interest in “QAnon-level conspiracy theories” prior to the 13 April shooting.

The 84-year-old is accused of shooting Ralph, 16, twice through the glass screen door of his home in Kansas City, Missouri, when the Black teenager accidentally called at the wrong home to pick up his brothers.

Ralph’s recovery is still ongoing, with attorney Lee Merritt sharing a photo of him back at home following his release from hospital.

Meanwhile, Mr Lester appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty to two felonies.

The shooting has led to protests and an outpouring of support for Ralph from celebrities and donors to a GoFundMe campaign, as the incident casts a renewed spotlight on America’s “stand your ground” laws and whether they help to fuel random shootings and racism.

Key points

• Andrew Lester’s ‘racist comments’ and QAnon conspiracies revealed

• Suspect’s ex-wife reveals she was always ‘scared’ of him

• Ralph Yarl’s aunt says he ‘lost a part of himself’ in shooting

• Andrew Lester pleads not guilty at arraignment

• Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.3m

• Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over shooting

CATCH UP: Prosecutors charge Andrew Lester for shooting Ralph Yarl

Wednesday 19 April 2023 05:11 , Graeme Massie

Hundreds stage rally in support of Ralph Yarl

Wednesday 19 April 2023 14:15 , Rachel Sharp

Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.2m after Black teen shot in the head by white homeowner

Wednesday 19 April 2023 14:35 , Rachel Sharp

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner when he accidentally went to the wrong address has soared past $3.2m in donations.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he went to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend’s house on 13 April.

Donations have been flooding in on a GoFundMe campaign, set up to help pay for the boy’s recovery.

As of around 9am ET on Tuesday – just two days after its launch – a staggering $3.2m had been raised.

Read the full story:

Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $2.8m after Black teen shot for ringing doorbell

Update given on GoFundMe

Wednesday 19 April 2023 14:55 , Rachel Sharp

In an update on Tuesday on the GoFundMe page, the family thanked people for their support and donations for the teenager and confirmed that he is now recovering from his injuries at home.

“Ralph is currently at home with the family. He can ambulate and communicate. A true miracle considering what he survived.Each day is different. He has a long road ahead,” the GoFundMe read.

“However, we are very thankful that he is still here with us. I’ve been taking the time to read the emails and comments to Ralph. It warms our hearts to see him smile at all the kind words. Thank you so much for loving Ralph.”

Andrew Lester to be arraigned in court today

Wednesday 19 April 2023 16:45 , Rachel Sharp

Suspect Andrew Lester is scheduled to be appear in court today for the shooting of Ralph Yarl.

The 84-year-old will appear for his arraignment at 1.30pm local time at Clay County Courthouse.

He is charged with two felonies over the shooting of the Black teen and faces up to life in prison.

Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.2m

Wednesday 19 April 2023 19:23 , Graeme Massie

As of 2pm ET, the GoFundMe organised to support the family of Ralph Yarl has raised more than $3.261m.

Andrew Lester pleads not guilty to shooting Ralph Yarl

Wednesday 19 April 2023 19:48 , Graeme Massie

Andrew Lester, the 84-year-old white man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager, has pleaded not guilty in court.

More details from inside Clay County Court

Wednesday 19 April 2023 19:56 , Graeme Massie

Mr Lester, 84, used a cane as he made his first court appearance on Wednesday afternoon, according to KCUR.

After he entered two not guilty pleas to first-degree assault and armed criminal action, the judge also set his next court date for 1 June at 1.30pm.

Mr Lester will remain out on bond but is banned from possessing any type of weapon, must have no contact with Ralph Yarl’s family and his cell phone will be monitored.

Ralph Yarl to reportedly meet with Ahmaud Arbery’s mother

Wednesday 19 April 2023 19:59 , Graeme Massie

Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by three white men as he jogged through their neighbourhood in Georgia.

Now his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who is also represented by lawyer Lee Merritt, asked if he could organise a meeting so she could give her moral support to the Yarl family, according to TMZ.

Justice Department investigating shooting as hate crime, says Ralph Yarl’s lawyer

Wednesday 19 April 2023 20:00 , Graeme Massie

Lee Merritt, the lawyer for Ralph Yarl’s family, told reporters outside Clay County Courthouse that the shooting was now being probed by the Justice Department as a hate crime.

“Before I even made it to Kansas City, we reached out to the Department of Justice, myself and my co-counsel Ben Crump, we have some longstanding relationships there,” Mr Merritt said, according to KCUR.

“We thought that this was something the DOJ should be looking into. They are (looking into it). It’s under investigation, they’ve received our complaint and now they’re looking into it.”

Mr Merritt was speaking after Andrew Lester pleaded not guilty to shooting the 16-year-old high school student.

“I want him to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Mr Merritt said. “All of his assets are going to become Ralph’s.”

Prosecutors release statement on Ralph Yarl case

Wednesday 19 April 2023 20:17 , Graeme Massie

Following Andrew Lester’s not-guilty pleas, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson released a statement on the case moving forward.

“Today, an arraignment was held in the case of State of Missouri v. Andrew D. Lester. In Missouri, every defendant is entitled to an initial arraignment where charges are read and a next court date set. In this case, the defendant waived formal reading of the charges and the Court continued the case to June 1, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.

“The purpose of this continuance is to allow the defendant’s attorney, who only filed his entry of appearance today, to review the case and for the State to fulfill its statutory and constitutional obligations to provide discovery to the defendant. From this point forward, the State will be pushing to move this case forward as swiftly as legally permitted.

“While charges have been filed, this remains an active investigation. We are continuing to work with law enforcement to gather any and all evidence available in this case. If anyone in the community has information that would assist in this case, we ask that you please contact the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department or other law enforcement.

“Now that this is an active and pending case, our office is severely limited in the information we can publicly disclose. This is due to our desire to protect the legal integrity of the case and ensure that justice is served for the victim and our community. Despite these restrictions, we will be as transparent as legally permitted and strive to keep the public informed of any developments.”

Missouri governor makes statement, a week after shooting

Wednesday 19 April 2023 20:28 , Graeme Massie

“It is a tragedy anytime a 16-year-old is shot, and Ralph Yarl is no exception. I trust law enforcement to continue conducting a thorough investigation and expect a fair and just result,” tweeted Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, on Wednesday.

Ralph Yarl shooting investigated as hate crime as suspect Andrew Lester pleads not guilty

Wednesday 19 April 2023 20:37 , Graeme Massie

The 84-year-old suspect remains out on bond until the next hearing on 1 June.

Ralph Yarl shooting investigated as hate crime as Andrew Lester pleads not guilty

Andrew Lester makes first court appearance

Wednesday 19 April 2023 20:47 , Graeme Massie

Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl

Wednesday 19 April 2023 21:26 , Graeme Massie

Hollywood actors and celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian have spoken out to demand justice for a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner in Kansas City.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he accidentally went to the wrong house to pick up his younger twin brothers.

Protesters have been demanding justice for Ralph and a growing chorus of celebrities are weighing in on the case, voicing outrage over the shooting and the treatment of his accused attacker.

Actor Gwyneth Paltrow wrote on Instagram: “#RalphYarl accidentally rang the doorbell of the wrong house in KCMO. He was trying to pick his younger siblings. The white owner of the hours shot this Black child in the head. He shot him again as Ralph bled out. The shooter is free. No charges. This is America.”

Kim Kardashian also used her platform to condemn the shooting, sharing an infographic of what happened to the teenage boy.

Read the story here:

Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over Ralph Yarl shooting

New photo captures Ralph Yarl recovering at home

Wednesday 19 April 2023 21:57 , Graeme Massie

A new photo has captured Black teenager Ralph Yarl recovering at home from his injuries from last week’s shooting.

Lee Merritt, the civil rights attorney representing the family, posted a photo on Twitter of himself with the 16-year-old.

“Ralph Yarl is home and recovering! How the bullet in his head did not cause more extensive damage is truly a miracle. To God be the glory!” wrote Mr Merritt.

Pictures from Andrew Lester arraignment

Wednesday 19 April 2023 22:26 , Graeme Massie

Why have hate crime charges not been filed?

Wednesday 19 April 2023 23:32 , Graeme Massie

On Monday afternoon, Clay County prosecutor Zachary Thompson finally announced that Mr Lester had been charged with two felonies: assault in the first degree, which carries a punishment of 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment, and armed criminal action, which carries a punishment of 3 to 15 years.

However, more than 20 hours passed before Mr Lester was taken into custody.

He surrendered to authorities on Tuesday before being released again less than two hours later after posting $200,000 bond.

Under the conditions of his release, he is not allowed to possess weapons of any type or have any contact with Ralph or his family.

He is due to appear in court for his arraignment on Wednesday.

Ralph’s attorneys have questioned why the suspect has not been charged with attempted murder.

While Mr Merritt said the family is happy that two felony charges have been brought, he has questions as to why Mr Lester has not been charged with attempted murder.

He told CBS Mornings that, while Mr Lester’s age may be a factor in the case, the “current and former president of the United States is about that age”. “He made a conscious decision to shoot a 16-year-old boy,” he said.

He added that the case should qualify as a hate crime.

“Ralph Yarl was shot because he was armed with nothing but other than his Black skin,” he said.

When asked if Mr Lester could also be charged with a hate crime, the prosecutor said on Monday that it would not be possible under state law.

In Missouri, a hate crime is a lower level of felony and to add the charge would amount to double jeopardy, he said.

Ralph Yarl rang the wrong doorbell and was shot by Andrew Lester. These key questions remain unanswered

Wednesday 19 April 2023 23:56 , Graeme Massie

Ralph Yarl had no reason to think he was in danger when he approached the house where believed his younger brothers were waiting for him to pick them up, his family say.

“He got a couple of bullets inside his body, instead of a couple of twins coming out and giving him a hug,” Ralph’s mother Cleo Nagbe said in her first interview after the shooting.

Prosecutors have charged Andrew Lester, 85, with shooting Ralph twice on the evening of 13 April when the 16-year-old accidentally mixed up the older man’s address with that of his brothers’ friends.

Although Ralph survived and is reportedly in good spirits, the shooting sparked protests in Kansas City and condemnation across the country, with activists and civil rights lawyers describing it as part of a pattern of white Americans using deadly force against unarmed Black people based on exaggerated and unreasonable ideas of danger.

Yet many questions remain over exactly what happened, not just on the night of the shooting but in the three days that followed without any charges being announced against Ralph’s assailant.

Here are some of the questions that still need answering:

These key questions remain unanswered in the Ralph Yarl shooting

Will Andrew Lester try to claim self-defence?

Thursday 20 April 2023 00:26 , Graeme Massie

Legal experts believe Andrew Lester’s lawyers will claim self-defence under Missouri’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows for using deadly force if a person is in fear for their life.

Missouri is among roughly 30 states with such statutes.

Robert Spitzer, a professor emeritus of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland, whose research focuses on gun policy and politics, said the Missouri law provides “wide latitude for people to use lethal force.”

St Louis defence attorney Nina McDonnell agreed. She said prosecutors have a strong case but that the Stand Your Ground law defence is a “huge hurdle” to overcome.

“The defendant was in his house and has expressed that he was in fear,” McDonnell said.

Associated Press

Andrew Lester is right-wing Fauci conspiracy theorist, says grandson

Thursday 20 April 2023 00:30 , Graeme Massie

The grandson of 84-year-old Andrew Lester says they became estranged over his right-wing conspiracy theories about Dr Anthony Fauci and disparaging remarks he made about Black and gay people.

Klint Ludwig told The New York Times that his grandfather shared a conspiracy theory involving the infectious disease expert at a family gathering during the Covid pandemic.

“I was like, ‘Man, this sounds crazy,’” said 28-year-old Mr Ludwig. “I told him it was ridiculous.”

Mr Ludwig, who lives in a suburb of Kansas City, told the newspaper that his grandfather was capable of making remarks that he considered disparaging about Black people, gay people and immigrants.

Over in New York...

Thursday 20 April 2023 00:58 , Graeme Massie

The boyfriend of Kaylin Gillis has spoken out about the final moments before she was shot and killed after they pulled into the wrong driveway.

The 20-year-old was killed in New York on Saturday when the couple entered the wrong driveway while searching for a party. The boyfriend, Blake Walsh, 19, told NBC News that his life has been destroyed.

The teenager from Cambridge, New York, told the network that he was driving the car with his girlfriend and two other passengers in the Ford Explorer searching for the party when two bullets flew in their direction, with one striking Ms Gillis.

She was fatally shot when they were exiting the driveway in Hebron, about 50 miles north of Albany.

Read the full story:

Boyfriend of Kaylin Gillis reveals final moments as she was fatally shot

What we know about the shooting of Ralph Yarl

Thursday 20 April 2023 02:02 , Graeme Massie

Black teenager went to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house, accidentally rang the doorbell at the wrong address and was shot twice by a white homeowner.

Now, protesters, celebrities and civil rights figures are demanding justice.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports on the case:

Ralph Yarl: What we know about the shooting of Black teen in Kansas City

Neighbour describes helping Ralph Yarl after shooting

Thursday 20 April 2023 03:05 , Graeme Massie

The woman, who only wanted to be called Jodi, told KMBC, that she called 911 when the teenager knocked on her doing after being shot.

“I was supposed to pick up my little brothers from their friend’s house. And I went and knocked on the door and the man came to the door with a gun and shot me in the head,” Jodi said Ralph told her.

“He was very alert,” Jodi told the news station.

The woman, who says she is a medical professional, Jodi, got her son to grab towels to support Ralph’s head and put pressure on his wounds.

“Nobody should go through this. That was somebody’s child’s blood I cleaned off the front door,” Jodi said.

And she added: “He’s a very strong, brilliant child that has so much going for him and his future. And this is just sad.”

Experts slam ‘appalling’ length of time it took to arrest suspect

Thursday 20 April 2023 04:09 , Graeme Massie

Gwen Grant, head of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, condemned the length of time it took to bring the suspect into custody.

“It is appalling and flat-out unacceptable that the shooter remains free. It is extremely difficult to understand why a statement from the victim is required to detain the assailant,” she said.

A KCPD spokesperson told The Kansas City Star that this was only a “cursory” interview, not a formal statement, which would need to be done “away from medical personnel”.

The decision to release Andrew Lester hours after the shooting was a key spark for protests throughout Kansas City over the weekend, and the fact that he was not immediately arrested on Monday 17 April when the charges were announced provoked further outrage.

“This shows that we are less important and that equal justice in the process is not a reality for us,” said Reverend Vernon P Howard, president of the Kansas City branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “The law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest is failing, which starts at the top.”

Homeowner who shot Black teen Ralph Yarl pleads not guilty

Thursday 20 April 2023 04:40 , Namita Singh

The 84-year old man who shot Ralph Yarl when the Black teenager went to his door by mistake pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a case that has shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.

Andrew Lester walked into the courtroom with a cane and spoke quietly during Wednesday’s hearing, his first public appearance since last week’s shooting. Authorities say he shot Yarl, a 16-year-old honor student, first in the head, then in the arm after Yarl came to his door because he had confused the address with the home where he was supposed to pick up his younger brothers.

The case is among three in recent days involving young people who were shot after mistakenly showing up in the wrong places.

A 20-year-old woman was killed in upstate New York when the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway. In Texas, two cheerleaders were shot after one of them mistakenly got into a car thinking it was hers.

Why did it take so long to charge and arrest Andrew Lester?

Thursday 20 April 2023 05:04 , Graeme Massie

We still don’t really know. Andrew Lester gave himself up to the police on Tuesday 18 April, and was released that evening on bail after paying a $200,000 bond.

In fact, Mr Lester had already been taken into custody on the night of the shooting five days earlier, after police reportedly found him standing inside his house behind the shattered glass storm door.

But according to arrest logs and media reports, he was held for less than two hours before being released by the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD).

That raised alarm bells for civil rights activists, given that police officers across the US have frequently justified fatal shootings of unarmed and often Black citizens by claiming, however questionably, that they believed they were at imminent risk of violence.

“We’re frustrated with law enforcement and their failure to take responsibility for the denial of this family’s due process. No one has owned up to it,” Mr Merritt said. “This 16-year-old unarmed boy didn’t actually pose a threat. But far too often in America, his skin alone is his weapon.”

Police and prosecutors have since claimed that they released Mr Lester that night because they could not hold him longer than 24 hours without charging him, and that they did not charge him because officers needed to get a victim statement from Ralph, who was still in hospital in critical condition.

Ralph’s lawyers have contested that, saying that he actually gave an interview to investigators from his hospital bed on Friday – within the 24-hour limit.

“There is no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening, and defenceless teenager that rang his doorbell,” the lawyers said prior to Mr Lester surrendering himself.

“We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting.”

Kansas City mayor says Ralph Yarl was shot ‘because he was existing while Black'

Thursday 20 April 2023 06:03 , Graeme Massie

The mayor of Kansas City has said that he believes Ralph Yarl was shot by the white homeowner because of the colour of his skin.

“To pretend that race is not a part of this whole situation would be to have your head in the sand,” Mayor Quinton Lucas told CNN.

“This boy was shot because he was existing while Black.”

Prosecutor have said that their investigation has revealed “a racial component” to the shooting, but the exact nature of this has not been released.

Ralph Yarl’s aunt says he ‘lost a part of himself’ in shooting

Thursday 20 April 2023 07:04 , Graeme Massie

The family of Ralph Yarl has said that the boy “lost a part of himself” when he was shot by a white homeowner for getting the wrong address.

Faith Spoonmore told CNN that – while he is recovering well – he has a long road to recovery ahead, both emotionally and physically.

“He lost a part of himself that day. A lot has changed since that happened,” she said.

“The way in which he’s gonna walk through this world, it’s gonna be totally different because of what happened.”

Ralph Yarl’s family questions claim Black 16-year-old could have scared the shooter

Thursday 20 April 2023 07:50 , Graeme Massie

Ralph Yarl’s family has questioned the claim by gunman Andrew Lester that he found the Black 16-year-old intimidating.

Mr Lester claimed that he shot Ralph twice in the head and arm through a glass screen door because he was “scared to death” at the boy’s size and feared he was unable to defend himself given his elderly age.

He claimed he thought the boy was trying to break in and so shot twice through his exterior glass door, court documents state.

Family attorney Lee Merritt told CNN that Ralph – a 16-year-old child – stands at 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.

“He’s the least imposing kid that I’ve come across,” he said. “He is a 16-year-old musician. He is not known for his physical prowess.”

Ralph’s aunt Faith Spoonmore also doubted the white homeowner’s claims.

“There is no way you can see fear when you look at that kid – if you really look at him, and not just the color of his skin. There is no way you can see fear,” she said.

ICYMI: Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.2m after Black teen shot in the head by white homeowner

Thursday 20 April 2023 08:30 , Namita Singh

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner when he accidentally went to the wrong address has soared past $3.2m in donations.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he went to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend’s house on 13 April.

Kansas City Police said that Ralph had gone to collect his siblings from a friend’s house on 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, but got muddled up with the address and accidentally went to a home on 115th Street by mistake.

Report:

Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.2m after Black teen shot for ringing doorbell

Andrew Lester’s ex-wife reveals why she isn’t surprised by shooting

Thursday 20 April 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp

Andrew Lester’s ex-wife has broken her silence to reveal why she isn’t surprised that the white homeowner shot Black teenager Ralph Yarl last week.

Mary Clayton, who was married to Mr Lester when she was young and had three children with him, told The New York Times she “was always scared of him”.

During their 14-year marriage, she said he had anger issues and would smash up their home. She called the police at least once over his rages but she said nothing was done.

“It doesn’t surprise me, what happened,” she said of the shooting.

White House decries Ralph Yarl shooting as part of ‘epidemic’ of gun violence

Thursday 20 April 2023 10:20 , Graeme Massie

The White House on Tuesday decried the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl as the latest in an “epidemic” of gun violence that appears to be continuing unabated across the United States.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the attack on the Missouri teenager, who was shot once in the head and once in the arm after ringing the wrong doorbell over the weekend, “devastating” and lamented the sheer number of such events that she has had to address from the briefing room.

“It ... feels like every week, at least once a week, I come to the podium and I talk about this gun violence epidemic that we’re seeing across the country, and how our communities and families across America, yet again, have been devastated by tragic acts of gun violence. And it is not just devastating for me, I’m sure it’s devastating for all of you and your families. It’s devastating for this President, its devastating for our administration ... to have to continue to do that over and over again,” she said.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg has more:

White House decries Ralph Yarl shooting as part of ‘epidemic’ of gun violence

PICTURED: Andrew Lester’s first court appearance

Thursday 20 April 2023 12:10 , Rachel Sharp

GoFundMe for Ralph Yarl tops $3.35m

Thursday 20 April 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner when he accidentally went to the wrong address has soared past $3.3m in donations.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he went to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend’s house on 13 April.

Donations have been flooding in on a GoFundMe campaign, set up to help pay for the boy’s recovery.

As of around 9am ET on Thursday – just two days after its launch – a staggering $3.35m had been raised.

Andrew Lester made disparaging comments about Black people, says relative

Thursday 20 April 2023 14:45 , Rachel Sharp

Andrew Lester’s estranged grandson has revealed that he has heard the 84-year-old make disparaging comments about Black people in the past.

Grandson Klint Ludwig told The New York Times that he was estranged from his grandfather because of the 84-year-old’s right-wing views.

He said his grandfather would make disparaging comments about Black people, gay people, and immigrants – and kept a large number of guns in his home.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Lester then shared a “crazy” conspiracy theory about Dr Anthony Fauci.

Another relative, who did not want to be named, said Mr Lester spent “considerable time at home in a living room chair, watching conservative news programs at high volume”.

Suspect’s family ‘disgusted’ by Ralph Yarl shooting

Thursday 20 April 2023 15:45 , Rachel Sharp

The family of suspected shooter Andrew Lester is said to be “disgusted” by the 84-year-old’s shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl.

Mr Lester’s grandson Klint Ludwig spoke to CNN about his reaction when he learned his grandfather was responsible for the shooting that has shocked the nation and led to calls for justice.

“I was disgusted. I thought it was terrible,” he said.

“Myself and my family stand with Ralph Yarl and seeking justice. This is a horrible tragedy, it never should have happened.”

Mr Ludwig, who said he is estranged from his grandfather over the 84-year-old’s right-wing views, said he was speaking out because it was the “right thing to do”.

“[In] yths country, it happens over and over again where people get away with killing unarmed, innocent Black people… people need to speak out and not make any excuses for this kind of behaviour and this violence,” he said.

Andrew Lester’s grandson reveals grandfather’s ‘racist comments’ and interest in ‘QAnon’

Thursday 20 April 2023 16:15 , Rachel Sharp

Andrew Lester’s grandson has revealed new details about his grandfather’s “racist comments” and interest in “QAnon-level conspiracy theories”.

Klint Ludwig told CNN that the 84-year-old “holds racist tendencies and beliefs” and has bought into “conspiracies and weird random, racist things”.

“A lot of it was like the QAnon-level conspiracies of election denying and he got really weird about some Fauci dogs... And I would push back on some of that stuff and he couldn’t handle being pushed back on and at a certain point we kind fof lost touch and I think it was more his choice than mine,” he said.

He said that his grandfather has made offensive comments about minorities in the past and “had a hot take about abortion and about Black women having abortions”.

Andrew Lester: What we know about white homeowner charged with shooting Ralph Yarl

Thursday 20 April 2023 17:15 , Rachel Sharp

Black teenager Ralph Yarl was shot by a white homeowner after he accidentally rang the doorbell at the wrong house while going to collect his brothers.

The 16-year-old accidental visit to Andrew Lester’s home in the Northland suburb of Kansas City quickly turned violent and the high school student was left hospitalised with serious injuries.

Instead of going to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, to pick up his brothers, he mistakenly went to Northeast 115th Street, police said.

Now prosecutors have brought charges against the homeowner.

Here is everything we know about the suspect:

What we know about white homeowner charged with shooting Ralph Yarl

Andrew Lester’s family attributes beliefs to right-wing news cycle

Thursday 20 April 2023 17:45 , Rachel Sharp

Suspected shooter Andrew Lester’s grandson has revealed new details about his grandfather’s “racist comments” and conspiracy theories.

Mr Lester’s grandson Klint Ludwig told CNN he believes that his grandfather is “scared”, in part because of “this 24 hour news cycle of fear and paranoia”.

“I feel like a lot of people of that generation are caught up in this 24 hour news cycle of fear and paranoia perpetuated by some other news stations,” he told Don Lemon.

“He would sit and watch Fox News all day every day blaring in his living room.

“I think that stuff really reinforces that negative view of minority groups and leads people – it doesn’t necessarily lead people to be racist, but it reinforces and galvanises racist people in their beliefs.”

Is this a ‘Stand Your Ground’ case?

Thursday 20 April 2023 19:43 , Graeme Massie

Stand Your Ground is a legal doctrine that allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves from apparent threats, without having any legal duty to try retreating first.

By contrast, some US states and English common law – from which much US law derives – do not permit the use of deadly force in self-defence if a jury finds that you could have retreated from the situation without putting yourself at serious risk.

In 2016, Missouri Republicans expanded its Stand Your Ground rules to cover not just a defendant’s home or car but any place where they have a legal right to be.

Specifically, the law says: “A person may, subject to the provisions of subsection 2, use physical force upon another person when and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such force to be necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful force by such other person.”

It adds: “A person does not have a duty to retreat... from a dwelling, residence, or vehicle where the person is not unlawfully entering or unlawfully remaining.”

Since then, a study by a team of researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Pennsylvania, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found that states that implemented such laws saw their homicide rates increase by between 16 and 34 per cent.

Nevertheless, Stand Your Ground laws still require someone accused of murder or assault to persuade a court that they acted reasonably and proportionately.

“You can’t just shoot people who come to your door,” Missouri criminal defence lawyer Kevin Jamison told The Kansas City Star. St Louis law professor Anders Walker told The Washington Post that ringing a doorbell was not a justification for deadly force.

However, Republicans have tried to weaken this requirement, filing a bill last year that would have reversed the burden of proof in self-defence cases. Rather than a defendant having to prove that their belief was reasonable, the law would assume by default that it was, and prosecutors would have to prove that wrong.

Opponents have derisively referred to such bills as the “Make Murder Legal Act”, and the bill failed after opposition from prosecutors and law enforcement officials, including some conservatives.

“I think we now have a shoot first, ask later policy in this state, or at least that is what people have interpreted it to be,” said Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democratic state legislator.

“These shoot first laws, stand your ground laws – they’re harmful and they’re dangerous policies that give people a license to kill,” said Carthesa Dillard of Moms Demand Action, who has lost two of her family members to gun violence.

Under current laws, some experts do believe Mr Lester may have a workable case. Robert Spitzer, a New York political science professor who researches gun policy, said Missouri state law offers “wide latitude for people to use lethal force”.

St Louise defence lawyer Nina McDonnell agreed, saying that prosecutors have a strong case but Stand Your Ground laws are a “huge hurdle” to overcome.

“The defendant was in his house and has expressed that he was in fear,” she said.

ICYMI: Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl

Thursday 20 April 2023 20:46 , Graeme Massie

Hollywood actors and celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian have spoken out to demand justice for a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner in Kansas City.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he accidentally went to the wrong house to pick up his younger twin brothers.

The teenager spent days in hospital while the white homeowner – 84-year-old Andrew Lester – is still walking free.

My colleague Rachel Sharp reports:

Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over Ralph Yarl shooting

Missouri’s stand your ground law explained:

Thursday 20 April 2023 23:32 , Graeme Massie

Missouri has a “stand your ground” law allowing an individual “to use physical force upon another person when and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such force to be necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful force by such other person”.

Under the law, the individual does not have a duty to retreat before using force on the other person.

Stand your ground and self-defence laws are controversial and have been used to acquit individuals in high-profile cases.

For example, Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty for killing two men and wounding another in a shooting at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.

Prior to this, George Zimmerman avoided conviction for shooting dead Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference on Sunday that investigators were reviewing whether or not Andrew Lester was protected by the state’s laws. He was charged on Monday.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump speaks about Ralph Yarl and Kaylin Gillis cases

Friday 21 April 2023 00:03 , Graeme Massie

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has spoken out comparing the shootings of Ralph Yarl and Kaylin Gillis.

Mr Crump, who is representing Ralph and his family, said that race should not impact whether justice is served in those cases.

“Race does not change the need for justice in either of these cases,” he told The National Desk.

“If you were outraged over the shooting of Ralph Yarl, you should be outraged at the shooting death of Kaylin Gillis.”

He continued: “I would hope that the media will be covering both of these cases equally. I would hope that everybody respects the value of their lives equally. That is what humanity requires. It doesn’t matter if the color of your skin is Black or White.”

Comparisons have been drawn between the two cases.

Black teen Ralph was shot twice by a white homeowner in Kansas City when he went to the wrong address.

White 20-year-old Gillis meanwhile was shot dead by a white homeowner in New York state when she and her friends drove into the wrong driveway.

Good Samaritan describes finding Ralph Yarl after being shot

01:05 , Graeme Massie

James Lynch, 42, says he was getting ready for bed when he heard shouting outside his home and saw the Black teenager knocking at a neighbour’s door begging for help.

The father of three says that he ran outside, jumped a fence and sprinted across the street to help Yarl, and held the youngster’s hand until paramedics arrived on the scene.

“I thought he was dead,” Mr Lynch told NBC News. “No one deserves to lay there like that. He hasn’t even begun to live his life yet. He didn’t deserve to get shot.”

Everything we know about Ralph Yarl shooting:

02:10 , Graeme Massie

Last week, Ralph Yarl found himself lying in a hospital bed with gunshot wounds to his left forehead and right arm.

Harrowing photos showed the Black teenager with tubes coming out of him and his head and arm wrapped up in bandages.

He is alive but his family says he has a long road to recovery ahead – a recovery that threatens to derail his dreams of going off to college to pursue a career in engineering.

So how did he end up here?

He went to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house, accidentally rang the doorbell at the wrong address and was shot twice by the 84-year-old white homeowner, Andrew Lester.

It’s a horror case that has led protesters to take to the streets, civil rights attorneys to rally behind the 16-year-old’s family, and Hollywood celebrities use their platform to amplify the case – all demanding justice for the Black teenager and for the white homeowner to face charges.

Here’s what you need to know about the case:

Ralph Yarl: What we know about the shooting of Black teen in Kansas City

Andrew Lester’s family are ‘disgusted’ by shooting: ‘We stand with Ralph Yarl’

03:04 , Graeme Massie

The family of suspected shooter Andrew Lester has said they are “disgusted” by the 84-year-old’s shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl.

Mr Lester’s grandson Klint Ludwig spoke to CNN on Thursday about his reaction when he learned his grandfather was responsible for the shooting that has shocked the nation and renewed debates around racial justice, gun rights and stand your ground laws.

“I was disgusted. I thought it was terrible,” said Mr Ludwig.

“Myself and my family stand with Ralph Yarl and seeking justice. This is a horrible tragedy, it never should have happened.”

Read the full story here:

Andrew Lester’s family ‘disgusted’ by shooting: ‘We stand with Ralph Yarl’

What we know about white homeowner charged with shooting Ralph Yarl

04:09 , Graeme Massie

Black teenager Ralph Yarl was shot by a white homeowner after he accidentally rang the doorbell at the wrong address while going to collect his brothers.

The 16-year-old accidental visit to Andrew Lester’s home in the Northland suburb of Kansas City quickly turned violent and the high school student was left hospitalised with serious injuries.

Instead of going to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri, to pick up his brothers, he mistakenly went to Northeast 115th Street, police said.

Now prosecutors have brought charges against the homeowner.

Here is everything we know about the suspect:

What we know about white homeowner charged with shooting Ralph Yarl

Andrew Lester had ‘crazy’ Fauci conspiracy theory, grandson says

05:04 , Graeme Massie

One of the grandsons of the man accused of shooting Black teenager Ralph Yarl said his grandfather believed in a “crazy” conspiracy theory involving US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.

Klint Ludwig, one of Mr Lester’s grandsons, said he was estranged from his grandfather as he had embraced right-wing conspiracy theories.

Read the full story:

Man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl had ‘crazy’ Fauci conspiracy theory, grandson says

Ralph Yarl: Ex-wife says she ‘isn’t shocked’ by ‘scary’ Andrew Lester shooting

06:04 , Graeme Massie

Andrew Lester’s ex-wife has broken her silence to reveal why she isn’t surprised that the white homeowner shot Black teenager Ralph Yarl last week.

Mary Clayton, who was married to Mr Lester when she was young and had three children with him, told The New York Times she “was always scared of” her former husband.

During their 14-year marriage, she said he had anger issues and would smash up items around their home.

She called the police at least once over his rages but she said that nothing was done about it and she was told Mr Lester could do what he wanted in his home.

“I was always scared of him,” she said, adding of the shooting: “It doesn’t surprise me, what happened.”

Read the full story:

Andrew Lester’s ex-wife says she ‘isn’t shocked’ by Ralph Yarl shooting

ICYMI: Girl, 6, and parents shot after basketball rolls into neighbour’s garden

07:02 , Graeme Massie

Authorities say Robert Louis Singletary, 24, is ‘armed and dangerous’ after incident in North Carolina.

Girl, 6, and parents shot after basketball rolls into neighbours garden

Can a doorbell ring justify a 'stand your ground' shooting?

07:54 , Graeme Massie

Andrew Lester had already gone to bed when the doorbell rang a little before 10pm. He got up, grabbed a gun and went to check it out.

Seeing a Black male appearing to pull the handle of the front door, police say the 84-year-old white man opened fire. No questions asked.

Mr Lester told police he believed someone was attempting to break into his house.

That belief — though wrong — could become a defense as Mr Lester faces charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action for shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, an honor student who went to the wrong Kansas City address while attempting to pick up his younger siblings.

The case, which has stirred outrage across the country, could shine a light on one of the most common self-defense policies in the US — the right to protect yourself in your home. Most states have some version of a “castle doctrine,” either by law or court precedent, that says residents don’t have to retreat when threatened in their homes but instead can respond with physical force.

More in this report:

Can a doorbell ring justify a 'stand your ground' shooting?

Ralph Yarl ‘completely humbled’ by support, says lawyer

09:08 , Graeme Massie

Ralph Yarl’s lawyer Lee Merrit said the teen is “completely humbled” by the outpouring of support.“He says, ‘I don’t know why everyone’s making a big deal out of me’,” Mr Merritt said.

“You know, it’s just me, right? It’s not like the president was shot.”Eliana Brannlund said it has been rough not having her friend and fellow band member around at Staley High School.

“He always brought a lot of positivity and smiles to our band class as well as our rehearsals outside of school,” Brannlund said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“I hope people are able to hear about who Ralph is as a person and understand that he is loving, kind and sweet.”

Ralph was shot at about 10pm last Thursday after his mother asked him to pick up his twin brothers at a home on 115th Terrace, Police Chief Stacey Graves has said.

Shot at point-blank range in the head, he miraculously survived the bullet. Only about 10 to 15 per cent of people who are shot in the head survive, said Dr Christopher Kang, the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Ralph Yarl’s mom says teen can’t stop crying after shooting: ‘He’s replaying the situation over and over’

10:00 , Graeme Massie

Ralph Yarl’s mother has spoken out to reveal that the Black teenager can’t stop crying as he recovers from his injuries after being shot in the head by an 84-year-old white homeowner.

Cleo Nagbe told CBS Mornings’ Gayle King on Tuesday that the 16-year-old is now left replaying Thursday’s attack “over and over again”.

“You can see that he is just replaying the situation over and over again. And that just doesn’t stop my tears either, because when you see your kid just sits there and constantly he just – tears are just rolling from both sides of his eyes, there’s nothing you can say to him,” she said.

She said that her son is able to communicate “when he feels like it” but he mostly “just sits there and stares and the buckets of tears just rolls down his eyes”.

Read the full story:

Ralph Yarl’s mom says teen is ‘replaying shooting over and over’

WATCH: Celebrities who are demanding justice for Ralph Yarl

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Key questions remain unanswered in Ralph Yarl shooting

11:00 , Graeme Massie

As Ralph Yarl begins a long road to recovery and Andrew Lester faces the possibility of a life sentence on felony charges, Io Dodds explains what we still don’t know about the shooting.

These key questions remain unanswered in the Ralph Yarl shooting

Common mistakes, uncommon reactions in 3 separate shootings

11:30 , Graeme Massie

In the span of six days, four young people across the US have been shot — one fatally — for making one of the most ordinary and unavoidable mistakes in everyday life: showing up at the wrong place.

A man shot and wounded two cheerleaders outside a Texas supermarket early Tuesday after one of them said she mistakenly got into his car thinking it was her own.

A group looking for a friend’s house in upstate New York arrived in the wrong driveway only for one of them to be shot to death Saturday night, authorities said.

In Missouri last Thursday, a Kansas City teen was shot twice after going to the wrong home to pick up his younger brothers, raising questions about the state’s “stand your ground law” and heightening racial tensions.

A brief glance of each shooting and the ensuing criminal investigations in Missouri, New York and Texas:

Common mistakes, uncommon reactions in 3 separate shootings

Minnesota police officer Kim Potter to be released from prison over shooting death of Daunte Wright

12:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Minnesota police officer who shot dead Black man Daunte Wright during a traffic stop is about to be released from prison.

Kim Potter, 50, will walk free from Shakopee Minnesota Correctional Facility on Monday, prison records show after serving 16 months behind bars.

She will serve another eight months on supervised release.

Wright, a 20-year-old Black man and father-of-one, was shot and killed by the Brooklyn Center police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota on 11 April 2021.

Potter had pulled the man over for expired licence plate tags and an air freshener hanging in his rear-view window. She then tried to arrest him for an outstanding warrant.

When Wright tried to drive away, Potter fired one shot and killed him.

The officer, a 26-year veteran officer, said she mistook her firearm for her Taser.

‘License to kill’: How ‘Stand Your Ground’ gun laws are fuelling random shootings and racism across the US

12:30 , Rachel Sharp

In America, seemingly any interaction, no matter how innocuous, can end in gun violence.

Consider this month alone. In Kansas City, Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old with dreams of pursuing a career in engineering, was shot at point blank range for ringing the wrong doorbell. A group of young cheerleaders in Texas were shot when one accidentally entered the wrong car in a grocery store parking lot. Kaylin Gillis, 20, was fatally gunned down in rural New York after mistakenly pulling into the wrong driveway. And Kinsley White, a six-year-old from Gastonia, North Carolina, was shot alongside her parents when her basketball rolled into a neighbour’s garden.

Experts say random acts of violence are made worse by so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws, provisions that the US Commission on Civil Rights once dubbed a “license to kill.”

The Independent’s Josh Marcus investigates:

Researchers say Ralph Yarl shooting shows ‘adultification’ of Black kids

13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Researchers have said that the shooting of Ralph Yarl shows the “adultification” of Black children and youth.

“This country, unfortunately, has a history of dehumanizing the Black body, the Black family and taking away those freedoms that should be enjoyed by everybody,” said Alison Cooke, a statistician at the UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, told ABC News.

Adultification is where people have racial bias towards Black children viewing them as older and less innocent than they view white children.

For example, people often see Black boys as bigger and more physically threatening than white boys, researchers said.

In the case of Ralph, white homeowner Andrew Lester claims he was “scared to death” because of Ralph’s size.

Ralph’s family dispute that claim, saying he is less than six foot tall.

Ralph Yarl’s attorney says shooting shows ‘systemic racism’ in America

13:30 , Rachel Sharp

Ralph Yarl’s attorney Lee Merritt has said that his shooting is an example of the “systemic racism” in America.

“It was an actual bullet that went into his skull...we’ve criminalized Blackness for years and we’re just starting to deal with...systemic racism,” he told ABC News.

What we know about the shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl

14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Last week, Ralph Yarl found himself lying in a hospital bed with gunshot wounds to his left forehead and right arm.

Harrowing photos showed the Black teenager with tubes coming out of him and his head and arm wrapped up in bandages.

He is alive but his family says he has a long road to recovery ahead – a recovery that threatens to derail his dreams of going off to college to pursue a career in engineering.

So how did he end up here?

He went to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house, accidentally rang the doorbell at the wrong address and was shot twice by the 84-year-old white homeowner, Andrew Lester.

Here’s what you need to know about the case:

Andrew Lester’s other grandson denies race played part in Ralph Yarl shooting

14:30 , Rachel Sharp

Another grandson of suspect Andrew Lester has come to the defence of the 84-year-old and denied that race will have played a part in the shooting of Ralph Yarl.

Daniel Ludwig told The Kansas City Star that the shooting was “sad” but said he believes his grandfather wouldn’t have opened fire if the teenager hadn’t “gone for the door”.

Mr Lester told police he was “scared to death” because he saw Ralph pulling on the door handle.

However, Ralph said that he never pulled the handle and only pressed the doorbell and waited for a response.

“It’s just sad and I wish it didn’t happen,” he said.

“It seems like a bunch of mistakes in a row that resulted in a tragedy. I mean, a lot of mistakes all the way around, unfortunately.”

What was the motive for the shooting?

15:00 , Rachel Sharp

Initially, officials denied any “racial” element to the shooting and offered no motive for the gunman opening fire on the teen.

Speaking on Sunday, the police chief said that there was no evidence to indicate that the shooting was racially motivated.

But, on Monday, when charges were announced, the prosecutor said he believed “there was a racial component to the case”.

He did not give details as to what led officials to that conclusion and nothing to that end was outlined in the probable cause document.

Lee Merritt, Ralph Yarl’s attorney, later revealed that the DOJ is investigating the shooting as a hate crime.

Andrew Lester’s grandson denies brother’s claims of shooter’s extremist views

15:30 , Rachel Sharp

Another grandson of suspect Andrew Lester has come to the defence of the 84-year-old and his brother’s claims that the suspected shooter holds extremist views.

Daniel Ludwig told The New York Times that he does not believe his grandfather harboured extreme right-wing views or supported conspiracy theories.

“These people are not close to him like I am,” he said, adding that the 84-year-old was “literally too nice” and “spoiled” his family.

His comments come after his brother Klint Ludwig told CNN that their grandfather made “racist comments” and bought into “QAnon-level conspiracies”.

Stand your ground laws explained:

16:00 , Josh Marcus

Traditionally, under the law of self-defence, deadly force is considered a last resort, and people generally have a duty to retreat from a situation if possible before resorting to violence, according to Professor Kami N Chavis, director of the William and Mary Law School Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Reform.

At home, the “castle doctrine” often applies, meaning one doesn’t need to retreat from a deadly threat.

However, she told The Independent, in the estimated 35 states with explicit Stand Your Ground legislation or similar provisions, the law takes things one step further.

In these (often Republican) states, the castle doctrine has been expanded and the duty to retreat eliminated in venues well beyond the home. Fatal force can be used not just to stop imminent threats of harm, but also prevent burglaries, or in states like Florida, even to stop an unarmed person from entering an unoccupied vehicle.

“I am opposed to stand your ground laws because they don’t allow people to de-escalate their situations,” Professor Chavis said.

The first such law passed in Utah in 1994, and they’ve since spread across the country with the backing of millions of dollars from the gun lobby and the political clout of conservative-leaning advocacy outfits like the American Legislative Exchange Council, according to Ari Freilich, state policy director of the Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group attempting to reduce gun violence.

Despite this concerted and highly successful effort, the laws, he said, weren’t even proposed as a solution to any well-defined problem with public safety or criminal justice law.

The key unanswered questions in the shooting of Ralph Yarl

16:30 , Rachel Sharp

Ralph Yarl had no reason to think he was in danger when he approached the house where believed his younger brothers were waiting for him to pick them up, his family say.

“He got a couple of bullets inside his body, instead of a couple of twins coming out and giving him a hug,” Ralph’s mother Cleo Nagbe said in her first interview after the shooting.

Prosecutors have charged Andrew Lester, 85, with shooting Ralph twice on the evening of 13 April when the 16-year-old accidentally mixed up the older man’s address with that of his brothers’ friends.

Although Ralph survived and is reportedly in good spirits, the shooting sparked protests in Kansas City and condemnation across the country, with activists and civil rights lawyers describing it as part of a pattern of white Americans using deadly force against unarmed Black people based on exaggerated and unreasonable ideas of danger.

Yet many questions remain over exactly what happened, not just on the night of the shooting but in the three days that followed without any charges being announced against Ralph’s assailant.

Here are some of the questions that still need answering:

These key questions remain unanswered in the Ralph Yarl shooting

GoFundMe tops $3.4m for Ralph Yarl

17:00 , Rachel Sharp

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner when he accidentally went to the wrong address has soared past $3.4m in donations.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot twice last Thursday when he went to pick up his younger twin brothers from a friend’s house on 13 April.

Donations have been flooding in on a GoFundMe campaign, set up to help pay for the boy’s recovery.

As of Friday morning, a staggering $3.4m had been raised.

Ralph Yarl seen recovering at home

17:30 , Rachel Sharp

Ralph Yarl has been pictured recovering at home from his gunshot wounds.

“Ralph Yarl is home and recovering! How the bullet in his head did not cause more extensive damage is truly a miracle. To God be the glory!” tweeted the family’s attorney Lee Merritt.

Andrew Lester’s family ‘disgusted’ by shooting: ‘We stand with Ralph Yarl’

18:00 , Rachel Sharp

The family of suspected shooter Andrew Lester have said they are “disgusted” by the 84-year-old’s shooting of Black teenager Ralph Yarl.

Mr Lester’s grandson Klint Ludwig spoke to CNN on Thursday about his reaction when he learned his grandfather was responsible for the shooting that has shocked the nation and renewed debates around racial justice, gun rights and Stand Your Ground laws.

“I was disgusted. I thought it was terrible,” said Mr Ludwig.

“Myself and my family stand with Ralph Yarl and seeking justice. This is a horrible tragedy, it never should have happened.”

Read the full story:

Andrew Lester’s family ‘disgusted’ by shooting: ‘We stand with Ralph Yarl’