An 84-year-old white man has been charged after he allegedly shot a black teenager who mistakenly rang his doorbell.
Andrew Lester has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action following the incident in Kansas City, Missouri, which has drawn condemnation from President Joe Biden and various civil rights groups.
Ralph Yarl, 16, is understood to have turned up to pick up his two younger brothers when he approached the wrong house at roughly 10pm on Thursday night.
Lester came to the door and allegedly shot the boy in the forehead before firing at him again, hitting him in the right forearm.
Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said at a news conference that there was a "racial component" when Andrew Lester allegedly twice shot the 16-year-old, who is recovering at home after being released from hospital.
But nothing in the charging documents currently says the shooting was racially motivated, Thompson clarified.
"We understand how frustrating this has been but I can assure you the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work," Thompson said.
No words were exchanged before the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.
Ralph Yarl reported hearing shouts of "don't come around here" in the moments after the shooting. The teen then ran to "multiple" homes asking for help before finding someone who would call the police, the statement said.
Responding to the shooting on Twitter, Vice President Kamala Harris wrote that "No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell."
More than £1 million have been raised by a GoFundMe account to help Yarl and his family with the medical bills.
