Homicide charges announced against Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of killing 2 at Kenosha protests
A 17-year-old accused of killing two protesters and injuring another with an AR-15-style rifle in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night has been charged as an adult with two counts of first degree homicide and one count of attempted homicide. The teen, Kyle Rittenhouse, also faces charges of recklessly endangering the safety of two other victims and possessing a weapon while under the age of 18.
In a complaint released Thursday by the Kenosha County Clerk of Courts, investigators identified the deceased victims as Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber. A third victim who survived being shot is identified as Gaige Grosskreutz. The shootings happened amid the third night of demonstrations over the Sunday police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The complaint describes a chaotic scene playing out around 11:45 p.m., beginning shortly after a witness, Daily Caller reporter Richard McGinnis, interviewed Rittenhouse.
The complaint claims that cell phone video showed Rosenbaum, who appeared to be unarmed, trailing behind Rittenhouse before throwing a plastic bag at him. As the pair approached a car, a loud bang is heard, followed by an unidentified male yelling an obscenity. When Rosenbaum gets close to Rittenhouse, another four bangs are heard.
McGinnis told investigators that at the time of the shooting, Rosenbaum was trying to take Rittenhouse's gun, according to the complaint.
Rosenbaum was hit and fell to the ground. McGinnis began administrating first aid, the complaint said, adding that McGinnis was allegedly in the line of fire when the shooting occurred. Rittenhouse is charged with endangering him.
Rittenhouse then began to flee, running up the street as witnesses shouted "Get him! Get that dude!" "Hey, he shot him!" and, "Beat him up!" Detectives said as Rittenhouse ran away, he could be heard speaking on his cell phone, saying, "I just killed somebody."
At one point, an unidentified male appears to attempt to strike Rittenhouse, according to the complaint, knocking his hat off but not appearing to make contact otherwise.
Then, in video seen widely across the nation, the suspect can be seen falling down. The complaint said Huber used the moment to attempt to disarm Rittenhouse.
The skateboarder approached with his board in one hand, and with the other, he appeared "to be trying to pull the gun away from the defendant," the complaint said.
Rittenhouse rolled to his left side, and as Huber attempted to grab the gun, it was pointed at his body, according to the complaint.
"The defendant then fires one round which can be heard on the video. Huber staggers away, taking several steps, then collapses to the ground. Huber subsequently died from this gunshot wound," the complaint said.
Grosskreutz, who had been approaching as Huber moved in and froze as the victim was shot, put his hands up. The complaint states Grosskreutz, who appeared to have a handgun, moved toward Rittenhouse, who shot him once in the right arm. Grosskreutz then turned and ran while yelling for a medic.
In videos of the incident, the suspect can then be seen, still armed, walking toward responding police vehicles, at times with his hands in the air. The police drive past him, and he then approaches a squad car before walking away.
Rittenhouse was apprehended Wednesday in Antioch, Illinois.
Rittenhouse did not appear Friday during a brief video hearing in Lake County, Illinois district court, where a judge granted Rittenhouse's public defender a 30-day extension. Rittenhouse is seeking to hire a private attorney, and has spoken on the phone with his mother, the judge said. The next hearing is schedule for Sept. 25.
Rittenhouse's attorney decried the charges. "This young boy was not only attacked on the streets of Kenosha, he's been attacked in the media and social media all over the damn world," L. Lin Wood told CBS News. "It's wrong. He's a 17-year-old boy. He was not there to create trouble, but he found himself with his life threatened and he had the right to protect himself with self defense and now he finds himself accused of murder."