A white teenager has been charged after two protesters were shot dead while they were protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, who refers to himself as a vigilante, walked past cops with his gun and even bragged about his role as a vigilante moments before the bloodshed on Tuesday, August 25.
As Black Lives Matter activists gathered to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse came out with his AR-15-style rifle and told a reporter that he was patrolling the streets of Kenosha to provide medical assistance and protect local businesses from looters. He said he had his rifle to protect himself.
The protest soon turned bloody and two people were shot dead just before midnight on Tuesday. One was shot in the head and one in the chest. One of the slain men has since been identified as Anthony Huber.
A third man, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, was shot in the arm but his wounds were not believed to life-threatening.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested on Wednesday August 26 and charged with first degree intentional homicide after viral video footage showed the teen shooting three people during the third night of Jacob Blake protests in Wisconsin.
He was arrested in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois - 15 miles from Kenosha. Court records say the teenager "fled the state of Wisconsin with the intent to avoid prosecution for that offense."
The Milmaukee Journal Sentinel noted that based on Wisconsin law, Rittenhouse is being charged as an adult.
According to video footage and witness accounts, the gunman first shot someone at a parking lot, then jogged away, stumbled and fell in the street, and opened fire again as members of the crowd closed in him.
Just moments after the shooting, Rittenhouse was filmed walking up to police with his hands in the air and his semi-automatic rifle slung across his body. He was apparently allowed to walk by despite members of the crowd yelling for police to arrest him.
It was alleged that after the shooting, police said "Thank you" to the shooter and offered him and his friends water.
In the wake of his arrest a day after the shootings, photos emerged showing him attending a Trump rally in Des Moines, Iowa in January. The young Trump fan also once participated in a youth public safety cadet program, according to social media posts. He also can be seen holding an assault rifle in several photos.
Below are more photos and a video of Kyle shooting Black Lives Matter activists on Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment