National

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — Andrew Lester, the suspect in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, is in custody at the Clay County Detention Center, police announced Tuesday.

Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action, also a felony, Clay County prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson said during a press conference Monday evening.

Ralph Yarl was shot Thursday night by a homeowner in Kansas City, Missouri, after he accidentally went to the wrong address to pick up his siblings, police said on Sunday.

“He knowingly caused physical injury to [Yarl] by shooting him,” Thompson said, adding that the first count is a class A felony with a sentence of up to life in prison, while the second count is an unclassified felony and carries a range of punishment of 3-15 years in prison.

A warrant was issued for Lester’s arrest and a bond was set at $200,000, Thompson added. It’s unclear if Lester has retained an attorney.

In his statement to police, Lester said he “had just laid down in bed when he heard the doorbell ring,” according to the probable cause statement.

Lester told police he picked up his gun, a .32 Smith & Wesson 1888 revolver, and went to the front door, which consists of an interior main door and exterior glass storm door, both of which were locked, the statement reads.

“Lester stated he opened the interior door, and saw a black male approximately 6 feet tall pulling on the exterior storm door handle. He stated he believed someone was attempting to break into the house, and shot twice within a few seconds of opening the door,” the statement reads.

Lester told police he had never seen the man before and that “no words were exchanged during the incident and the male had not said anything prior to pulling on the door handle,” according to the probable cause statement.

The suspect told police “it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he was ‘scared to death’ due to the male’s size,” his own age, and his “inability to defend himself,” the statement reads.

Police conducted an informal cursory interview with Yarl at Children’s Mercy Hospital on Friday, according to the probable cause statement. Yarl told police he parked in the driveway, went to the front door, “pressed the doorbell and waited outside the front door,” the statement reads. Yarl told police the man inside “took a long time but finally opened the door holding a firearm,” and then “he was immediately shot in the head and fell to the ground,” according to the statement.

Yarl told police he got up and “ran away to keep from being shot,” and that the man allegedly said “don’t come around here,” according to the probable cause statement.

Yarl told police he went to multiple residences to ask for help and tell people to call the police, the statement reads.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the Yarl family along with attorney Ben Crump, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis in an interview Monday that the family is “relieved” that charges have been filed.

“Because of the national outpouring, because of the community of Missouri that stood up, because of all the national organizers and people who have lent their voice — it seems that the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies on the ground are taking the case more seriously,” Merritt said.

The case garnered national attention over the weekend, and the White House confirmed to ABC News that President Joe Biden spoke with the Yarl family on Monday.

“This evening, the president spoke by phone to Ralph Yarl and shared his hope for a swift recovery,” the White House said Monday night.

“Ralph just got off the phone with the president of the United States today, who assured him that, you know, that he was and the rest of the nation was invested in justice for him,” Merritt told ABC News.

Ralph’s aunt Faith Spoonmore told ABC News Live Prime in an interview Monday before charges were announced that Ralph was shot in the head through a glass door and then in the arm and suffered a traumatic brain injury and an injury in his arm.

“He is healing. We are taking it one day at a time,” she said, adding that the shooting has also taken an emotional toll on the family.

The charges came after protests erupted in Kansas City over the weekend after Lester, who was unidentified at the time, was taken into custody and then released pending an investigation by the Kansas City Police Department.

“We understand how frustrating this has been,” Thompson said. “But I can assure you that the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work. As with any serious case, we approached this one in an objective and impartial manner.”

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a press conference Sunday evening that after the shooting, the suspect was taken into police custody and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold but had since been released while police investigate and present evidence to the prosecutor’s office.

“After consulting with the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, forensic evidence and compile additional information for a case file to be presented,” Graves said on Sunday.

Police announced on Monday afternoon that they submitted the case to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office; prosecutors announced the charges two hours later.

Crump and Merritt said in a statement released Monday evening that the family is “extremely relieved that criminal charges are finally moving forward.”

“‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ We are relieved that charges are finally moving forward but are disappointed in the delay that necessitated national outcry for an obvious crime,” Merritt said in a statement. “We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and justice.”

Merritt said that Ralph was released from the hospital on Saturday and is in the care of his doctors at home. He said that the family now wants to “see this man held accountable to the full extent of the law.”

“Despite of everything, we are grateful that he is alive because considering what he went through, I don’t think the person who did this intended that he will be alive,” Spoonmore told ABC News. “… We are upset, we are angry, but we also understand that it could have been much worse.”

ABC News’ Matt Foster, Justin Gomez and Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BOWDOIN, Maine) — Three drivers were shot on a Maine interstate on Tuesday shortly after four people were found dead in a nearby home in what police are calling connected incidents.

A person of interest has been detained, Maine State Police said, adding that there’s no threat to the public.

Four people were first found dead inside a home in Bowdoin, and a short time later, around 10:30 a.m., three people were shot while driving south on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, police said.

The interstate victims have been hospitalized. One person is in critical condition, police said.

The cause and manner of death for the four people found dead in Bowdoin have not yet been determined, according to police.

Yarmouth is about 25 miles south of Bowdoin.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The family of Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for four years on espionage charges, said Monday he feels “abandoned” by the U.S. and that “his resilience is shaken” in the wake of Russia’s arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been charged with espionage.

Whelan, 53, a businessman and former U.S. Marine, was arrested in 2018 and convicted of espionage in 2020. The U.S. has declared him and Gershkovich, who is on trial in Russia, “wrongfully detained.”

Since Whelan’s arrest, Russia detained and released two Americans who were also declared “wrongfully detained” -WNBA player Brittney Griner and former Marine Trevor Reed.

In a Friday phone call with his parents, Paul Whelan said “he feels as though the U.S. government has abandoned him,” according to his brother David.

David Whelan spoke more with ABC News Live Monday about the situation.

ABC NEWS LIVE: First, I just want to ask you, when we talk about his resilience being shaken. What do you mean by that? Tell us what kind of emotional state that Paul is in.

DAVID WHELAN: I think from the very start of his detention back in 2018, he has tried to maintain hope and he has certain things that he does every day to create a routine and to keep a mental positivity. And I think that the latest detention of an American by the Kremlin has shaken that. So…he’s not only less hopeful, but I think really concerned that he may be going back through a process that has happened a number of times now, where an American is brought home because of concessions the U.S. government makes. But Paul doesn’t come home.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Are you and your family planning on interacting differently at this point with the State Department?

WHELAN: I think we are. Elizabeth [Whelan, Paul and David’s sister] is going to take a bit of a pause on her meetings with them. I think she’s finding that there aren’t fruitful outcomes to the discussions that they’ve been having. We don’t get the sense that there are creative strategies being brought to bear on Paul’s case. And frankly, the family of a wrongful detainee has limited resources. We take days off from work. We pay to travel to Washington, D.C., to do advocacy. There’s a cost, and I think we’ve decided that for now, we need to hold off until we can see better progress.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Why do you think that Paul doesn’t get the attention like Brittney Griner, Trevor Reed and now Evan Gershkovich?

WHELAN: It’s hard to know. The special presidential envoy for hostage affairs last week said that he didn’t know why Paul’s case was harder, [and] why the Russian government wasn’t letting him go. And I think even the people in the State Department know it’s hard for us to understand. It’s really too bad. I think that there was an opportunity to bring him home in 2020 and the U.S. government decided not to do that, and then since then, it’s just become very difficult. And I think it’s not going to get easier with a second American charged with espionage by the Kremlin.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Have you and your family discussed what your next steps might be? I know that you said that your sister is now saying that she’s going to maybe slow down that communication with the State Department. But now, going forward, is there another strategy?

WHELAN: There isn’t for our family. I mean, a lot of it is hoping and waiting and trying to keep Paul’s spirits up so that he can survive as long as he can. Unfortunately, he may have to survive for 16 years, the entirety of the sentence, and we hope that that’s not the case. We want to keep our parents’ spirits up as well, because, of course, they get disappointed when they hear Paul becoming despondent on the phone.

So, I think we will just continue to try and focus on what we have to do, which is to support Paul and to support our parents. But it would be ideal if the State Department would also engage and put the pressure on that they have said that they would do and try and bring Paul home.

ABC NEWS LIVE: You mentioned the potential for him potentially having to serve out that 16 years. Is there a part of you that’s given up hope?

WHELAN: No. I mean, I think you always have to keep some hope. But it would be impossible to continue either as a family member or as Paul if you gave up hope. I think that’s why we see some wrongful detainees attempt suicide when they’re in detention or being held hostage. And fortunately, Paul hasn’t gotten to that point. So, we will try and keep him as mentally healthy and physically healthy as we can until he’s able to come back.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Dominion Voting Systems, in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, has accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that the voting machine company rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor, in what Dominion claims was an effort to combat concerns over declining ratings and viewer retention. Fox has defended its coverage, dismissing the suit as a “political crusade in search of a financial windfall.”

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Apr 18, 1:34 PM EDT
Judge authorizes special master over potential ‘discovery issues’

After sanctioning Fox News last week for a delay in turning over evidence, Judge Eric Davis has now officially authorized a special master to investigate Fox News’ potential “discovery issues,” according to a new order from the judge.

The order comes just before opening arguments in the case are scheduled to begin.

According to the order, the investigation by the special master will “include a determination” of whether Fox News and Fox Corp “complied with their discovery obligations.”

The special master, who was previously appointed to oversee discovery in the case, is now “further authorized and empowered” to look into multiple declarations made by Fox attorneys in the case, the order says.

Apr 18, 11:40 AM EDT
You aren’t ‘Dick Tracy,’ judge tells jurors

In his initial instructions to the jury, Judge Eric Davis told jurors not to talk amongst themselves or discuss the case with family or friends.

“You have to fight human nature. This is the hardest thing you’ll have to do during the trial,” Davis said. “You have to refrain from talking about the case with your fellow jurors or a third party.”

The judge also reminded the jurors that they are not Dick Tracy.

“Do not do any detective work,” he said. “You cannot do any independent research about this case.”

Davis told jurors they can bring water or some other beverage into the courtroom, provided it has a cap or lid.

“You can bring some type of drink,” Davis said, jokingly adding, “non-alcoholic.”

The trial is expected to last about six weeks.

Apr 18, 11:30 AM EDT
Jury is seated

A jury has been seated to hear the defamation accusations against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems.

The jury is made up of six women and six men who were previously asked about their Fox News viewing habits. Six women and six men were also seated as alternates.

The jurors will remain anonymous for the duration of the trial. Judge Eric Davis had expressed concern about possible jury tampering amid the international attention on the case.

Immediately after the jurors were sworn in, alternate juror No. 3 raised his hand from his seat and told the judge, “Sir I can’t do this. I’ve been up all night. I can’t do this.”

Judge Davis offered to talk with the man off the bench and, ultimately, opted to dismiss him from service.

“I’ve excused alternate No. 3 and we will swear in a new No. 3,” Davis said.

Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway

Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.

Apr 17, 10:42 AM EDT
Judge says trial will proceed Tuesday

The judge overseeing Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News said Monday morning that the trial will proceed Tuesday, saying a delay like this “is not unusual.”

Judge Eric Davis’ remarks in court Monday morning came after an [eleventh-hour delay]} in the case was announced Sunday night before the trial was set to begin Monday morning.

The Wall Street Journal — a publication owned by Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch — reported Sunday night that Fox had made a “late push to settle the dispute out of court,” according to “people familiar with the decision.”

Judge Davis made no mention of potential settlement talks Monday morning.

“It’s a six-week trial, things happen,” he said.

Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway

Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — An internet user claiming to be a member of the small online community where a Massachusetts Air National Guard member is accused of leaking hundreds of classified U.S. intelligence documents told ABC News that he looked up to the airman, calling him “very smart, and always was [one] step ahead of everyone.”

In an interview with ABC News conducted on the social media platform Discord, a user using the name Vahki said he was a longtime member of the server on that site where National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who is now in custody, is accused of sharing images of classified U.S. intelligence documents.

Two administrators on the separate, larger Discord server where images of the alleged documents were subsequently shared to a much wider audience told ABC News that Vahki was a member of the smaller, tight-knit group where Teixeira allegedly posted the images. Vahki was first publicly named by Aric Toler, a researcher with the investigative outlet Bellingcat.

Vahki, who described himself as a minor, said he had been a member of Teixeira’s server for four to five years, and that Teixeira was admired within the group of 25 people. The young user detailed how Teixeira “supported” members of their small online community as the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on their mental health.

“He was compassionate for people’s problems, always. He would always walk us through and help us with that,” Vahki said. “And I mean, obviously this is over the course of many years — he was super nice to everyone to the point where you wouldn’t even notice it at some points.”

Vahki said the topic of religion was popular on their small Discord server.

“Most of us were Orthodox Christian,” he said, explaining that the group had a separate channel where members could share “good prayers to say” and “good places to pray at.”

Vahki described Teixeira as a “Christian,” with politics that were “Libertarian at most.” The pair first met on a server for fans of the YouTuber Oxide, who posts videos about weapons and the military. Oxide, who did not disclose his real name, told ABC News that he remembered banning Vahki and Teixeira from the community years ago for repeatedly posting racist memes.

Vahki said his motivation for speaking with ABC News was to clear up misconceptions around Teixeira, namely, according to Vahki, that the accused leaker is a racist.

Vahki acknowledged that some members of the group posted “funny memes” that might appear racist, sexist, or transphobic to outsiders, but claimed that Teixeira did not participate in posting them. Vahki said the group had a diverse membership and that when members complained, offending content was removed.

The Washington Post last week reported to have reviewed a video that featured Teixeira at a shooting range making “a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera” before firing several rounds at a target.

“People seem to have this mob mentality on [Teixeira] already, without understanding him further. He is a good person, at the end of the day,” Vahki told ABC News.

Teixeira took an interest in educating the group, Vahki recalled, claiming the airman was not interested in “clout” or winning arguments.

“He just wanted us to be informed, ahead of the news cycle,” Vahki told ABC News.

But when it came to the classified documents that Teixeira first allegedly transcribed and shared in the group, few members seemed to take an interest, Vahki said.

“There was no reactions to the documents, nobody talked about them,” he said.

Vahki, however, said the lack of response did not make Teixeira upset. Instead, Vahki said, the muted response led Teixeira to abandon the laborious task of transcription in favor of printing and photographing the documents, which Vahki said required less effort.

This shift happened around the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023, Vahki said.

Later, in early March, images of the purported leaked documents appeared on a larger Discord server dedicated to the YouTube creator “wow mao.” These images were posted by a young user known by the username Lucca, according to records reviewed by ABC News.

Discord admins for that server previously described Lucca to ABC News as a “hyperactive kid.”

“He was still like, a little kid on the server. He was a good kid, you know? He’s mid to late teens,” an admin who goes by the username Krralj said. “And like he was, he’s always active. He joined the voice call to listen … when he was in school.”

ABC News is withholding Lucca’s real name. Vahki said he and Lucca are close friends and claimed that Lucca and Teixeira had minimal interactions.

Vahki said that he has not been contacted by law enforcement. Asked whether he was aware of investigators reaching out to other group members, he declined to comment.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Dominion Voting Systems, in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, has accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that the voting machine company rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor, in what Dominion claims was an effort to combat concerns over declining ratings and viewer retention. Fox has defended its coverage, dismissing the suit as a “political crusade in search of a financial windfall.”

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Apr 18, 11:40 AM EDT
You aren’t ‘Dick Tracy,’ judge tells jurors

In his initial instructions to the jury, Judge Eric Davis told jurors not to talk amongst themselves or discuss the case with family or friends.

“You have to fight human nature. This is the hardest thing you’ll have to do during the trial,” Davis said. “You have to refrain from talking about the case with your fellow jurors or a third party.”

The judge also reminded the jurors that they are not Dick Tracy.

“Do not do any detective work,” he said. “You cannot do any independent research about this case.”

Davis told jurors they can bring water or some other beverage into the courtroom, provided it has a cap or lid.

“You can bring some type of drink,” Davis said, jokingly adding, “non-alcoholic.”

The trial is expected to last about six weeks.

Apr 18, 11:30 AM EDT
Jury is seated

A jury has been seated to hear the defamation accusations against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems.

The jury is made up of six women and six men who were previously asked about their Fox News viewing habits. Six women and six men were also seated as alternates.

The jurors will remain anonymous for the duration of the trial. Judge Eric Davis had expressed concern about possible jury tampering amid the international attention on the case.

Immediately after the jurors were sworn in, alternate juror No. 3 raised his hand from his seat and told the judge, “Sir I can’t do this. I’ve been up all night. I can’t do this.”

Judge Davis offered to talk with the man off the bench and, ultimately, opted to dismiss him from service.

“I’ve excused alternate No. 3 and we will swear in a new No. 3,” Davis said.

Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway

Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.

Apr 17, 10:42 AM EDT
Judge says trial will proceed Tuesday

The judge overseeing Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News said Monday morning that the trial will proceed Tuesday, saying a delay like this “is not unusual.”

Judge Eric Davis’ remarks in court Monday morning came after an [eleventh-hour delay]} in the case was announced Sunday night before the trial was set to begin Monday morning.

The Wall Street Journal — a publication owned by Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch — reported Sunday night that Fox had made a “late push to settle the dispute out of court,” according to “people familiar with the decision.”

Judge Davis made no mention of potential settlement talks Monday morning.

“It’s a six-week trial, things happen,” he said.

Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway

Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago) — A French man has been charged in connection to a jet ski incident in St. Lucia that killed an American woman, authorities said.

The Royal St. Lucia Police Force said Evans Ramos, of Cosmellieur, France, has been charged with reckless manslaughter.

Police officers responded to a call about a jet ski accident on April 7. It involved what’s called a tube — a floating device attached to a vessel on water, a police source said.

“The jet ski collided into the tube, resulting in the death of the young lady,” the police source told ABC News.

Jazmine Chandler-Tabb, who was a passenger in the tube, was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to a police statement.

“I’m just devastated, she was my friend, my partner, she was just my everything,” Natiya Joseph, who was married to Chandler-Tabb, told ABC News.

The Bronx, New York, couple would have celebrated their second wedding anniversary in May, Joseph said.

Joseph, her wife and their daughter Aniya arrived in St. Lucia on April 6. According to Joseph, they went there to celebrate Joseph’s father’s 80th birthday on April 8.

The day before the birthday celebration the family went to Reduit Beach, in the northern part of the island, where tragedy struck.

“Jazmine was very loving, very supporting, she was encouraging,” Joseph said. “She was always smiling, huge smile.”

Ramos, the jet ski’s driver, was visiting the Caribbean nation as a passenger on a cruise ship, according to the police source.

After being charged, Ramos, 21, was remanded in custody on the island, according to police.

“I hope that he gets the justice that he deserves,” Joseph said.

Authorities and other stakeholders in St. Lucia have since met with owners and operators of jet skis and are reviewing the policies in place to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Dominion Voting Systems, in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, has accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that the voting machine company rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor, in what Dominion claims was an effort to combat concerns over declining ratings and viewer retention.

Fox has defended its coverage, dismissing the suit as a “political crusade in search of a financial windfall.”

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway

Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — The Clay County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it filed two criminal charges against a suspect in the April 13 shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri.

Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man, was charged with one count of felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action, also a felony, Clay County prosecuting attorney Zachary Thompson said during a press conference Monday evening.

The 16-year-old Black teenager was shot Thursday night by a homeowner in Kansas City after he accidentally went to the wrong address to pick up his siblings, police said on Sunday.

“He knowingly caused physical injury to [Yarl] by shooting him,” Thompson said, adding that the first count is a class A felony with a sentence of up to life in prison, while the second count is an unclassified felony and carries a range of punishment of 3-15 years in prison.

A warrant was issued for Lester’s arrest and a bond was set at $200,000, Thompson added. It’s unclear if Lester has retained an attorney.

In his statement to police, Lester said he “had just laid down in bed when he heard the doorbell ring,” according to the probable cause statement.

Lester told police he picked up his gun, a .32 Smith & Wesson 1888 revolver, and went to the front door, which consists of an interior main door and exterior glass storm door, both of which were locked, the statement reads.

“Lester stated he opened the interior door, and saw a black male approximately 6 feet tall pulling on the exterior storm door handle. He stated he believed someone was attempting to break into the house, and shot twice within a few seconds of opening the door,” the statement reads.

Lester told police he had never seen the man before and that “no words were exchanged during the incident and the male had not said anything prior to pulling on the door handle,” according to the probable cause statement.

The suspect told police “it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he was ‘scared to death’ due to the male’s size,” his own age, and his “inability to defend himself,” the statement reads.

Police conducted an informal cursory interview with Yarl at Children’s Mercy Hospital on Friday, according to the probable cause statement. Yarl told police he parked in the driveway, went to the front door, “pressed the doorbell and waited outside the front door,” the statement reads. Yarl told police the man inside “took a long time but finally opened the door holding a firearm,” and then “he was immediately shot in the head and fell to the ground,” according to the statement.

Yarl told police he got up and “ran away to keep from being shot,” and that the man allegedly said “don’t come around here,” according to the probable cause statement.

Yarl told police he went to multiple residences to ask for help and tell people to call the police, the statement reads.

Attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the Yarl family along with attorney Ben Crump, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis in an interview Monday that the family is “relieved” that charges have been filed.

“Because of the national outpouring, because of the community of Missouri that stood up, because of all the national organizers and people who have lent their voice — it seems that the prosecutors and law enforcement agencies on the ground are taking the case more seriously,” Merritt said.

The case garnered national attention over the weekend, and the White House confirmed to ABC News that President Joe Biden spoke with the Yarl family on Monday.

“This evening, the president spoke by phone to Ralph Yarl and shared his hope for a swift recovery,” the White House said Monday night.

“Ralph just got off the phone with the president of the United States today, who assured him that, you know, that he was and the rest of the nation was invested in justice for him,” Merritt told ABC News.

Ralph’s aunt Faith Spoonmore told ABC News Live Prime in an interview Monday before charges were announced that Ralph was shot in the head through a glass door and then in the arm and suffered a traumatic brain injury and an injury in his arm.

“He is healing. We are taking it one day at a time,” she said, adding that the shooting has also taken an emotional toll on the family.

The charges came after protests erupted in Kansas City over the weekend after Lester, who was unidentified at the time, was taken into custody and then released pending an investigation by the Kansas City Police Department.

“We understand how frustrating this has been,” Thompson said. “But I can assure you that the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work. As with any serious case, we approached this one in an objective and impartial manner.”

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said during a press conference Sunday evening that after the shooting, the suspect was taken into police custody and placed on a 24-hour investigative hold but had since been released while police investigate and present evidence to the prosecutor’s office.

“After consulting with the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, the homeowner was released pending further investigation due to the need to obtain a formal statement from the victim, forensic evidence and compile additional information for a case file to be presented,” Graves said on Sunday.

Police announced on Monday afternoon that they submitted the case to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office; prosecutors announced the charges two hours later.

Crump and Merritt said in a statement released Monday evening that the family is “extremely relieved that criminal charges are finally moving forward.”

“‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ We are relieved that charges are finally moving forward but are disappointed in the delay that necessitated national outcry for an obvious crime,” Merritt said in a statement. “We are cautiously optimistic about accountability and justice.”

Merritt said that Ralph was released from the hospital on Saturday and is in the care of his doctors at home. He said that the family now wants to “see this man held accountable to the full extent of the law.”

“Despite of everything, we are grateful that he is alive because considering what he went through, I don’t think the person who did this intended that he will be alive,” Spoonmore told ABC News. “… We are upset, we are angry, but we also understand that it could have been much worse.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(CHICAGO) — The city of Chicago faced a wave of gun violence this weekend that saw 35 people injured and eight people dead, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Police said that on Friday, a few minutes after 8 p.m., local time, a male suspect wearing all black entered a local business and fired into the crowd, wounding a man who was shot twice in the stomach, who later died at Loyola University Medical Center, and also injuring a 65-year-old man who was shot in the leg and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he is listed in good condition.

In another incident on Friday, a 32-year-old man was shot in both feet while standing in an alley. He was transported to a local hospital and is in good condition, police said. No arrests were made.

Another man was outside his car Friday when he was allegedly shot in his left foot. He ended up driving himself to Mt. Sinai Hospital and is in good condition. Police did not make an arrest in the incident.

Two teenagers were also shot on the sidewalk in the 3700 block of South Wabash Avenue, police said. One victim, 15, was shot in the foot and was sent to Comer Children’s Hospital and listed in good condition.

The other victim, described as being in his late teens, was shot in the abdomen and was sent to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died, according to Chicago police.

In the early hours of Saturday, a 21-year-old man was found unresponsive on the street with a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An off-duty Chicago police officer died by suicide on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement officials. He was found unresponsive inside his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 30-year-old man was shot in the face on Sunday afternoon after he was approached by four people while he was walking, according to police. The suspects fled into a nearby building, prompting a SWAT response.

The victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital and SWAT is investigating the incident, police said.

Chicago police responded to calls early Monday morning after midnight of a 20-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman shot inside their crashed vehicle in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

An initial investigation indicates that the two individuals were approached by two, armed male suspects who attempted to steal their car. The victims attempted to drive away when the suspects allegedly shot into their car, which crashed into a parked vehicle, police said.

The male victim was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The woman was shot in the foot and was sent to the same hospital, where she is listed in good condition.

Law enforcement officials are investigating all of the shooting incidents.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.