Nationwide — The grandson of the 84-year-old white man, Andrew Lester, who shot a 16-year-old Black boy named Ralph Yarl when he mistakenly knocked on his door in Kansas City, Missouri, says that his grandfather is a racist conservative Trump supporter. Klint Ludwig spoke out against his grandfather during in an interview on CNN, calling the attack a “horrible tragedy” and said he was “disgusted” by his actions.
Ludwig claimed his grandfather had become conspiratorial and made “weird racist things” after watching conservative media outlets such as FOX News. He accused Lester of having “racist tendencies” and becoming radicalized by toxic views over the last five years.
Yarl mistakenly arrived at Lester’s home in Kansas City while trying to pick up his younger siblings who were staying at a different address. When Yarl rang the doorbell, Lester answered the door while armed with a loaded revolver and fired at Yarl through a glass door. Yarl was hit in the head and the right arm, but he survived. Lester told police he thought the teen was trying to break into his home after he spotted Yarl yanking on the outer door handle. Yarl gave a different story to investigators, saying he never pulled on the door handle and was patiently waiting for someone to answer the bell he rang.
Lester has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action and pleaded not guilty. He surrendered to police, appeared in court, and later posted $200,000 bail before being released from jail. Yarl’s attorney, Lee Merritt, posted a photo of the two back at Ralph’s home, indicating that he is doing well. Meanwhile, Ludwig spoke out about his grandfather’s actions, saying that people need to speak out and not make any excuses for this kind of behavior and violence.
