CNN
The white geriatric gunman who shot and nearly killed a 16-year-old Black youth in Missouri is a Trump supporter who has been radicalized by racist conservative views in recent years … at least according to his grandson.
Klint Ludwig was on CNN Thursday, railing on his 84-year-old grandfather, Andrew Lester, who stands accused of shooting Ralph Yarl outside Lester’s Kansas City home last week.
Ludwig said he was “disgusted” by Lester’s alleged attack on Yarl, calling it a “horrible tragedy.” Ludwig also said he was 100 percent in Yarl’s corner.
Don Lemon asked Ludwig why he was speaking out against his own grandfather. Ludwig responded, “It was right thing to do,” adding, “This country it happens over and over again where people get away with killing unarmed innocent Black people.”
He continued, “People need to speak out and not make any excuses for this kind of behavior and violence.”
Ludwig went even deeper, accusing his grandfather of being a “stock American Christian male” with “racist tendencies.”
Ludwig also stated as Lester got older, he became conspiratorial and would say “weird racist things,” which seemed to be the result of watching conservative media outlets, such as FOX News, all day long. Ludwig went on to say Lester is a Trumpsupporter and, within the last five years or so, he became radicalized with these toxic views.
As we reported, Yarl mistakenly arrived at Lester’s home in Kansas City last week while trying to pick up his younger siblings, who were staying at a different address.
After Yarl rang the bell, Lester answered the door while armed with a loaded revolver. Lester then opened fire through a glass door, hitting Yarl in the head and then firing a second time, hitting him in the right arm. At no point did Yarl step foot inside Lester’s house.
Yarl was rushed to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, but, miraculously, he survived. In fact, his attorney, Lee Merritt, posted a photo of the two back at Ralph’s home Wednesday.
According to court documents, Lester told police he spotted Yarl yanking on an outer door handle and thought the teen was trying to break into his home. That’s why, Lester says, he shot Yarl.
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But Yarl allegedly gave a different story to investigators, telling them that he never pulled on the door handle and that he was standing patiently waiting for someone to answer the bell he rang.
Lester surrendered to police Tuesday and appeared in a Clay County court to face charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He later posted $200,000 bail and was released from jail. He has pleaded not guilty.
