A warrant has been issued for the man accused of shooting a black teenager in the head in Kansas City.
Andrew Lester, 85, accused of shooting Ralph Yar, 16, reportedly Accidentally went to the wrong house While trying to pick up his younger brother last week.
Police said Monday that Lester had initially been arrested and had his weapon confiscated before being released pending further investigation.
“The vast majority of cases, including violent crimes, involve suspects being released pending further investigation. In these cases, prosecutors need more information from investigators, which takes more than 24 hours to gather,” police said. Commissioner Stacey Graves said.
“We recognize the frustration this can bring to the entire criminal justice process.”
Missouri law allows a person to be held for up to 24 hours for a felony investigation. At that point, the person must be released or arrested and formally charged.
The victim’s attorney, Zachary Thompson, said there was a “racial element” to the shooting but gave no further details about a possible motive at the news conference, adding that Lester had been re-arrested , he is currently under arrest. The location is unknown.
Mr Thompson also revealed that Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal conduct.
He also said Lester and the 16-year-old had not spoken before the alleged attack, in which the former allegedly shot Ralph in the head and arm through a glass door with a .32 revolver.
A GoFundMe page, believed to have been set up by Ralph’s aunt Faith Spoonmore, said the teen escaped the alleged attack but had to knock on three different houses before someone could help him.
Police earlier said Ralph’s injuries were life-threatening but he was in a stable condition.
Ralph Yar.Image: Facebook
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“I thought he was dead”
In an interview with Sky’s US partner network NBC News, the man who found Ralph covered in blood said he “thought he was dead”.
“I heard someone screaming, ‘Help, help, I’m shot!'” James Lynch said, adding that the shouting was inappropriate for the normally quiet neighborhood.
Mr Lynch added that he heard screams as he was getting ready to sleep, then ran over his own fence to Ralph and checked his pulse when he arrived.
Ralph obviously struggled to respond before spelling his own name.
Another neighbor arrived with towels to help stop the bleeding, and she and Mr Lynch stayed with Ralph as paramedics arrived.
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“Stand up and fight back”
The shooting sparked a protest in Kansas City on Sunday, with hundreds of people gathering outside the home where Ralph was allegedly shot dead, chanting “Stand up and fight back!”
Ms Spoonmore went live on Instagram after the protest, where she spoke to a woman who lived near the scene and saw Lester the morning after the alleged attack.
“This is the child this man was trying to assassinate,” she said.
“He shot him twice. Not only did we allow him to go home hours after the incident, but he was able to wake up the next morning and say nothing happened.”
Since its launch, Ralph’s GoFundMe has raised more than $2 million, including donations from big names like actress Julianne Hough, stand-up comedian Erin Daniels and screenwriter Mara Brock Achilles. High-profile donations.