Shooter of Black Teen Ralph Yarl Dies Before Sentencing

Andrew Lester, 86, admitted guilt in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl but passed away weeks before his scheduled sentencing.

Andrew Lester, an 86-year-old Missouri man, pled guilty to second-degree assault for shooting 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in 2023 after the teen mistakenly rang his doorbell.
Lester faced up to seven years in prison but died before his sentencing, which was set for March 7, 2025; the cause of death has not been disclosed.
The shooting, which left Yarl with a traumatic brain injury, reignited national debates on racism, gun laws, and the use of self-defense claims in the U.S.
Yarl’s family expressed frustration over delays in justice and said Lester's death deprived them of seeing him face full accountability for his actions.
Ralph Yarl, now 18 and a college freshman, continues to recover from the physical and emotional trauma of the shooting, which prosecutors noted had racial undertones.