Andrew Lester, the man who shot and injured Ralph Yarl in April 2023 after the teenager accidentally rang his doorbell, pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser felony. That means he’ll avoid a trial that was set to begin next week.
Lester pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, which is punishable by one to seven years in prison, or a fine of up to $10,000. His sentencing is set for March 7 at 10 a.m.
With the plea, Lester, who was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, will avoid trial, set to begin on February 18.
Friday's hearing lasted only 10 minutes. Yarl was seated in the front row next to his mother and family members inside the James S. Rooney Justice Center in Clay County.
Lester was rolled into the courtroom in a wheelchair, hunched over so far he could not lift his head to make eye contact with the judge or the family.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said in a press conference that he consulted with Yarl and his family before reaching the plea deal with Lester.
Thompson said he is seeking a sentence of five years' incarceration for Lester.
"This case centers on the reasonableness of actions taken, not the right to self-defense," Thompson wrote in a press release. "While we support homeowners' rights to protect themselves, shooting an unarmed teenager through a locked door exceeds reasonable bounds."
In a statement following the plea deal, Yarl's mother, Cleo Nagbe, called for consequences that reflect the severity of Lester's actions.
"We remain hopeful that his sentencing will not be merely a slap on the wrist but a decision that upholds the seriousness of his crime," Nagbe said. "This case has never been just about Ralph — it is about every child’s right to exist without being seen as a threat. This is about the not normalizing a world where our children are forced into adulthood due to everyday gun violence in our schools and communities."
Lester shot Yarl twice. One of the bullets grazed Yarl’s head and another hit his arm. He’s been recovering from a brain injury and dealing with debilitating headaches, but graduated from Staley High School last spring.
Currently, Yarl is a freshman at Texas A&M University, and a member of the Air Force ROTC and marching band. He played multiple instruments in high school, and was named to the Missouri All-State Band.
"Ralph is doing his best to be O.K.," Nagbe said about her son.
The story generated national attention and loud condemnation from a host of civil rights heavyweights, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, who criticized the “unfettered access to firearms.”
After a mental health evaluation, Lester was found competent in November to stand trial. He originally pleaded not guilty.
Since the beginning of his court appearances, Andrew Lester has always come in hunched over, using a walker or a cane, wearing baggy khakis and a jacket.
Lester was 84 at the time of the shooting, living alone, and had recently had heart surgery and a knee replacement, according to testimony at the preliminary hearing. He rarely spoke in court, except to answer yes or no to the judge.
Lester’s lawyer, Steve Salmon, has long maintained that Yarl grabbed the glass storm door, trying to get in. Lester had a split second to make a decision — and chose a mistake.
“Mr. Lester didn’t need to wait to be attacked by a stranger in the dark,” said Salmon, who called the shooting a “terrible event but not a criminal event.”
In 911 calls played at Lester’s preliminary hearing, he can be heard saying that someone rang his “damn doorbell.” He then told police, “He wanted in my house but I shot him.”
Kansas City Police Detective Dennis Paquette, who responded to the 911 call the night Ralph Yarl was shot, said Lester appeared to be very old and very scared. “He feared the party outside — he couldn’t stand up to him,” Paquette said.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said that the law allows for using a gun to defend one’s home, but Lester was already standing behind a closed and locked storm door when he shot Yarl.
“You do not have the right to shoot an unarmed kid two times,” Thompson said. “Ralph was unarmed. Ralph was unmasked. He wasn’t yanking violently on the door.”
At Friday's press conference, Thompson said that while race was an obvious "component" of Yarl's case, prosecutors did not find evidence of racial motivation that could be presented in court.
"We all enjoy equal protection under the law, and we all are also held accountable to the same standards under the law," Thompson said.
Nagbe said in her Friday statement that the plea does not erase Yarl's trauma or the "deeper injustices that made this tragedy possible."
"Ralph’s story is not over. This guilty plea must serve as more than a mere acknowledgment — it must be a turning point in the pursuit of real justice," Nagbe said.
