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Andrew Lester appears in court Thursday; preliminary hearing date set for late August

Andrew Lester in Court.jpg
Posted at 2:25 PM, Jun 01, 2023
and last updated 2023-06-01 18:12:11-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The man accused of shooting a 17-year-old boy twice at his Northland home in April appeared in Clay County court Thursday.

Andrew Lester, 84, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of Ralph Yarl.

On April 13, Yarl mistakenly went to Lester's home to pick up his two siblings. Lester later shot Yarl in the head and arm after he rang the door bell.

Yarl's family was in attendance on Thursday and wore t-shirts with the customized message "ringing a doorbell is not a crime."

Yarl Family June 1 2023.jpeg
Members of Ralph Yarl's family attend a court hearing for the suspect in Yarl's shooting, Andrew Lester, on Thursday, June 1, 2023 in Clay County, Missouri.

During the court appearance a judge set an Aug. 31 date for Lester's preliminary hearing.

The court appearance came just two days after a judge sealed the details of Lester's case citing the national media coverage of the case.