Ralph Yarl Shooting: White Homeowner Who Shot Black Teen Pleads Not Guilty

The shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl by an elderly White homeowner has sparked another debate on guns and stand-your-ground laws. Now, the suspect, Andrew Lester, 84, has pleaded not guilty.

Yarl was a 16-year-old honor student, and police say Lester shot him first in the head, and then in the arm after the teen came to his door by mistake. According to the Associated Press, he had confused the address with the home where he was supposed to pick up his younger brothers.

The teen managed to survive in what many say is a miracle, as he was shot at point-blank range. As for his shooter, Lester was charged with first-degree assault, which is a high-level crime. However, his family's lawyer, as well as civil rights groups are urging prosecutors to charge the suspect with a hate crime.

The suspect is now free again after posting $20,000 of his $200,000 bond. He also agreed to relinquish any weapons and have no contact with Yarl or his family. His cellphone will also be monitored.

According to police records, Yarl headed to the wrong house he was supposed to go to. He rang the doorbell intending to pick up his siblings but was instead shot by Lester with a .32 caliber Smith and Wesson 1888 revolver.

The suspect then told police he lives alone and was "scared to death" when he saw the boy on his porch. No words were exchanged between them, with Lester just shooting and arguing it was self-defense. He is expected to claim this argument for his legal defense and cite Missouri's "Stand Your Ground" law.

Yarl's attorney, Lee Meritt, argues that the "Stand Your Ground" law would not apply in this case. He stated that it would only be used if "someone's on your property and they're looking to do you harm .... We don't have any evidence of that. The Castle Doctrine does not apply to this case."

Ralph Yarl Continues Miraculous Recovery After Shooting Incident

Ralph Yarl is continuing his process of recovery after miraculously surviving being shot in the head. His attorneys have stated that while he received a positive prognosis, he still faces a long road to recovery.

Merritt appeared in a photo alongside his young client in an Instagram post by activist and family spokesperson Shaun King, who praised the teen for being a "walking miracle" with a "head of steel."

"Had the bullet hit his head a fraction of an inch in any other direction he would probably be dead right now," wrote King in his social media post, according to CNN.

Ralph Yarl Shooting Should Not Have Happened, Says Suspect's Grandson

Daniel Ludwig, the grandson of Ralph Yarl shooting suspect Andrew Lester, spoke to The Daily Beast and admitted that the attack on the teen should not have happened.

Ludwig admitted that it was easy to get lost in the streets of the neighborhood where Yarl was shot.

"I'd go to visit my grandpa, and I would get lost on those streets," he said.

He describes himself as "very close" with Lester, though he maintains that the incident "never should have happened."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl pleads not guilty - CBS News