Missouri: Grandson of Suspect in Ralph Yarl Shooting Says His Grandfather Has 'Racist Tendencies.'

Klint Ludwig was not entirely surprised when he learned his grandfather was the White man behind Black teen Ralph Yarl's shooting in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to ABC 7, 84-year-old Andrew Lester shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl after the teen mistakenly knocked on his door to pick up his siblings on April 13.

Ludwig told CNN on Thursday that he was not shocked when he heard the news since "the warning signs were there."

"I believe he held -- holds -- racist tendencies and beliefs," he noted.

However, Daniel Ludwig, Klint's older brother, reportedly denied that race played a role when their grandfather shot Yarl in the head. Lester was initially detained but freed hours after the shooting. He has now been charged with two felonies.

Ralph Yarl Shooting Suspect Says He Thought Black Teen Was Trying to Break Into His Home

Andrew Lester pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action on Wednesday. He posted a bond of $200,000 and is scheduled to appear in court again on June 1.

The Black teen should have picked up his younger siblings at 1100 NE 115th Terrace, but he ended up at 1100 NE 115th Street.

After knocking on Lester's door, Ralph Yarl was shot in the head and arm. According to the document acquired by CNN, Lester said he did not speak to Yarl before shooting through the closed glass door.

He claimed he was "scared to death" by Yarl's size and believed the teen was attempting to break into the house. However, Yarl's aunt told CNN that her nephew is likely under 170 pounds and is less than 6 feet tall.

Lester's lawyer, Steven Salmon, has yet to comment on the case. The shooting was one of the numerous recent incidents where young people were shot or murdered after accidentally approaching the wrong residence, driveway, or vehicle.

Yarl's family said the high school bass clarinetist was recently released from the hospital, but he still had a long road to recovery ahead of him.

Ralph Yarl Shooting Suspect Not Facing Hate Crime Charges

Despite demonstrators' and Ralph Yarl's family's demands, the White man is only charged with two felonies, and a hate crime charge is not among them.

Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said his office would not be seeking a hate crime case against Andrew Lester since the sentencing range for such a charge is less severe than the punishment range for the other two counts, STLPR reported.

Hate crimes in Missouri can be charged as either a class D or E felony, the two lowest levels of criminal offenses.

The maximum sentences for these offenses are seven and four years, respectively, with no mandatory minimum sentences. On the other hand, a charge of assault in the first degree is punishable by up to life in prison if convicted.

"I get that the sentence is shorter, but can you not charge it as an additional component?" wondered one resident from Lee's Summit.

Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson and Yarl's lawyer, Lee Merritt, met on Tuesday to discuss the case.

"Mr. Thompson appears sincere in his desire to get a successful conviction," Merritt told reporters. "We're frustrated with law enforcement, the agents working for him, in their failure and denial to get this due family process come last week."

According to Merritt, the FBI is investigating the incident because it may qualify as a federal hate crime. The maximum penalty for committing a federal hate crime is life in prison.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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