Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old honor student, was shot twice by an 84-year-old homeowner after ringing the wrong doorbell. Andrew Lester, the shooter, faced two felony charges for assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. However, Lester surrendered and was released on bond after Kansas City police released him two hours after the shooting. This sparked public outrage and criticism of the police departments handling. His family's attorneys, Lee Merrit and Ben Crump, unveiled that there was a racial component to the case. Despite the felony charges, Lester remained at large for a day and wasn't in custody as of Monday evening. The incident was described as unspeakable, and protesters have marched through the city, calling for Lester's arrest, underlining that justice is being served too slowly.

A police probable cause document indicated that no words were exchanged between Yarl and Lester before the shooting. Lester told police he shot Yarl due to his size, fearing for his life, and mistook Yarl for a break-in at his residence. Meanwhile, Yarl survived the shooting but suffered from gunshot wounds to his head and arm, and had been discharged from the hospital but not out of danger.