Wrong Door, Wrong Decision

Ralph Yarl, a young Black honor student, was shot by an 86-year-old man, Andrew Lester, in 2023. It all happened because Yarl accidentally rang the wrong doorbell. Yarl, now a freshman at Texas A&M, was just trying to pick up his twin siblings. Lester, on the other hand, was convinced he was defending himself. He shot Yarl twice. The shooting happened on the night of April 13, 2023. Lester's trial was supposed to happen next week. But he decided to plead guilty to a lesser charge. This means he admitted to a charge of second-degree assault. Lester could face up to seven years in prison. He will be sentenced on March 7. Yarl's mother, Cleo Nagbe, was there in the courtroom. She thanked everyone who supported them. She said that while this is a step towards justice, it's not enough. She believes the punishment should match the severity of the crime. The prosecutor, Zachary Thompson, wants Lester to get a five-year prison sentence. He reminded everyone that self-defense has its limits. Lester's lawyer, Steve Salmon, has always said that Lester was just scared and thought he was protecting himself. The shooting caused a lot of shock and brought up discussions about guns and race in the U. S. Yarl said he waited for someone to answer the door. He thought they were his brothers' friends' parents. He got shot in the head and arm. He was taken to the hospital and released after three days. Lester's health has been declining. He has heart issues, a broken hip, and has lost a lot of weight. He said he was stressed out by all the media attention and threats he received. Lester's mental state was checked, but the results were not made public.