Police-obsessed gunman, 17, who is charged with murder of two BLM protesters during Kenosha riots sat front row at a Trump MAGA rally as video interview emerges of him bragging about being a vigilante before the mayhem unfolded
Footage has emerged showing the 17-year-old gunman charged with the fatal shooting of two BLM protesters in Kenosha, attending a Trump rally earlier this year - as it's revealed the teen had bragged about his role as a vigilante in an interview taken moments before the bloodshed on Tuesday.
Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with first degree intentional homicide on Wednesday after viral video footage showed the teen shooting three people during the third night of Jacob Blake protests in Wisconsin.
Two people were shot dead just before midnight on Tuesday - one 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.
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.
Rittenhouse was arrested on Wednesday afternoon 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'.
In the wake of his arrest, photos and videos have emerged indicating the teenager had a strong admiration for law enforcement, with much of his social media containing references to Blue Lives Matter - the movement that supports police.
Police-obsessed gunman, Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, charged with murder of two BLM protesters during Kenosha riots sat front row at a Trump MAGA rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in January this year
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, has been charged with first degree intentional homicide following the shooting death of two protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday. Social media photos show the teen had a strong admiration for law enforcement and guns
The teenager's arrest came hours after video footage emerged showing Rittenhouse walking up to police with his hands in the air and his semi-automatic rifle slung across his body just moments after the shooting. He was apparently allowed to walk by despite members of the crowd yelling for him to be arrested
Shortly before the attack, and armed with a rifle slung across his body, Rittenhouse told the reporter he was a certified EMT and explained he was patrolling the streets of Kenosha to provide medical attention to anyone who had been injured, as well as protecting businesses from looters
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.
Rittenhouse was even spotted front row at a Trump rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in January this year. A now-deleted TikTok account, believed to belong to the teen, also shows a video he took at the event.
On Tuesday, shortly before Rittenhouse opened fire, he gave an interview to right-wing news outlet The Daily Caller.
Armed with a rifle slung across his body, the teen told the reporter he was a certified EMT and explained he was patrolling the streets of Kenosha to provide medical attention to anyone in need and was helping protect local businesses from looters and rioters.
'People are getting injured. Our job is to protect this business and part of my job is to also help people,' Rittenhouse said of his militia.
'If there's somebody hurt, I'm running into harm's way,' added Rittenhouse, who was seen earlier guarding a local car shop with a group of armed militia members. 'That's why I have my rifle because I can protect myself, obviously. I also have my medkit.'
He also claimed he had been 'de-escalating' a potentially violent situation earlier in the night, during which he and the rest of his vigilante crew ordered protesters to leave a church that they had targeted.
When asked if the outcome would have been different if police officers responded to the scene instead, Rittenhouse replied: 'I feel like there would be a lot more casualties and a lot more people injured.'
'So I think the police are fine where they're at and [should] let us run the medical, because EMS is not coming in', he continued. 'Us citizens, we need to help each other.'
Much of Rittenhouse's Facebook is devoted to praising law enforcement, with references to Blue Lives Matter - the movement that supports police. He also previously participated in a youth public safety cadet program (right), according to social media
A TikTok account believed to belong to Rittenhouse shows he had attended a Trump rally in January this year. The account has since been suspended
In a press conference addressing the shooting, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told reporters it was possible the gunman was part of an armed militia that had earlier asked the department to deputize them to help protect the city.
In Wisconsin, it is legal for people 18 and over to openly carry a gun without a license.
Beth however, said the sheriff's department would never deputize armed civilians saying: 'Oh, hell no. What a scary, scary thought that would be in my world.'
During the video interview, Rittenhouse invited the reporter to join him as he searched for people in need of medical assistance, only to be called out by members of the crowd who accused him of threatening protesters at gunpoint.
As Rittenhouse approached the group to offer medical help, one man tells him: 'I remember you, you were telling us to get off the car [makes gun gesture] now you're talking about medical?'
Rittenhouse, who appeared stunned by the confrontation, quickly walks away from the man, ignoring his comments and continues to search for people in need of care down the street.
The teenager's arrest came hours after video footage emerged showing him walking up to police with his hands in the air and his semi-automatic rifle slung across his body just moments after the shooting.
He was apparently allowed to walk by despite members of the crowd yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people, according to witness accounts and video footage.
The police later said they hadn't arrested him immediately during the chaos of the scene.
Footage from earlier in the night appeared to show Rittenhouse guarding a local car shop with a group of armed militia members.
Another video showed police thanking an armed group, of which the teenager appeared to be part of, and offering them water.
The shooting prompted Facebook to launch its own investigation on Wednesday into a group called 'Kenosha Guard,' containing 3,000 members, which had promoted an event encouraging armed civilians to take to the streets to defend the city.
The militia group, which has since been deleted, had hosted an event titled, 'Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property', according to screen grabs obtained by The Verge.
'Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from the evil thugs?' the group said in a post. 'No doubt they are currently planning on the next part of the city to burn tonight.'
In a statement to the website, Facebook confirmed it had deleted the group for violating its policy, but said it had not found any evidence linking the suspected gunman to the group or event.
'At this time, we have not found evidence on Facebook that suggests the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or that he was invited on the Event Page they organized,' the company said.
'However, the Kenosha Guard Page and their Event Page violated our new policy addressing militia organizations and have been removed on that basis.'
A member of the group also told The Verge it was unaware if the shooter 'was answering the Kenosha Guard Militia's call to arms.'
'Just like with the shooting of Jacob Blake, we need all the facts and evidence to come out before we make a judgement. God Bless and stay safe Kenosha!' the statement said.
Rittenhouse was among the volunteers spotted earlier on Tuesday cleaning graffiti from a high school following another night of unrest in the city.
Much of Rittenhouse's Facebook was devoted to praising law enforcement.
In a photograph posted by his mother, he is wearing what appears to be a blue law enforcement uniform as well as the kind of brimmed hat that state troopers wear.
News of Rittenhouse's arrest came as President Trump said Wisconsin officials had accepted federal law enforcement support following several days of unrest across the city in the wake of the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake.
Witness accounts and video show that the shootings took place in two stages: The gunman first shot someone at a car lot, then jogged away, stumbled and fell in the street, and opened fire again as members of the crowd closed in him.
The teen at one point invited the reporter to follow him in his search for anyone requiring medical assistance at the protests
Rittenhouse was then confronted by a man who called him out for offering medical assistance after threatening protesters at gunpoint earlier that night
Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois and charged with first degree intentional homicide over the shooting death of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin last night. He will be extradited for a hearing on Friday in Wisconsin - where anyone 17 and over is treated as an adult
Rittenhouse was among the volunteers spotted earlier on Tuesday cleaning graffiti from a high school near the Kenosha County Courthouse following another night of unrest in the city
Facebook on Wednesday launched an investigation into a group called 'Kenosha Guard,' containing 3,000 members, after it had promoted an event encouraging armed civilians to take to the streets to defend the city on Tuesday
As for how the gunman managed to slip away, Sheriff David Beth (pictured) described a chaotic, high-stress scene, with lots of radio traffic and people screaming, chanting and running - conditions he said can cause 'tunnel vision' among law officers
Police apparently then let the young man walk past them with a rifle over his shoulder with his hands in the air.
As for why the gunman was allowed to leave, Sheriff David Beth on Wednesday portrayed a chaotic, high-stress scene, with screaming, chanting, nonstop radio traffic and 'people running all over the place' - conditions that can cause 'tunnel vision' among law officers.
Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis later appeared to blame protesters for being out past the dawn to dusk curfew.
'Everybody involved was out after the curfew. I'm not going to make a great deal of it, but the point is that the curfew is in place to protect,' he said.
'Had persons not been out in violation of that, perhaps the situation that unfolded would not have happened.'
Rittenhouse, identified in court papers as a lifeguard at a YMCA in Lindenhurst, Illinois, was assigned a public defender in Illinois for a hearing on Friday upon his extradition to Wisconsin.
Anthony Huber has been identified as one of the men who was shot dead during the protests on Tuesday night
Under Wisconsin law, anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.
Cellphone video showed the ordeal unfolded after a man was shot in the head outside a nearby auto garage. The videos showed the armed man running away in the moments after the gunshots rang out and he could be heard saying: 'I've just killed somebody'.
Onlookers were filmed desperately trying to put pressure on the injured man's head wound with a t-shirt as they yelled: 'We've got to keep him alive' and 'put pressure, put pressure.'
It is not yet clear what happened in the lead up to the initial shooting but police fear it may have stemmed from a conflict at a gas station between 'self-styled militias' defending local businesses from looters.
Separate videos that captured the other two shootings showed a group of protesters tailing the gunman as he ran down the middle of the street. Someone in the crowd can be heard asking 'What did he do?' and another responds that the man had shot someone.
The videos show the gunman stumbling and falling in the street before one pursuer took a flying kick at him, while another appeared to strike him with a skateboard.
The gunman fired three of four shots from a seated position, hitting at least two people, including one who fell over clutching his chest and another who stumbled away putting pressure on his arm, according to the videos.
As the crowd scattered, the shooter stood up and continued walking down the street as police cars arrived.
Cellphone videos from the scene in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday night show a white man brandishing a semi-automatic rifle in a confrontation with demonstrators following a shooting just moments earlier where a man was shot in the head. Protesters chased the gunman down the street before one kicked him to the ground
Another man could be seen hitting the gunman over the head with a skateboard before struggling with the gunman as gunshots rang out and people fled from the scene
The gunman appeared to fire a shot at the man brandishing the skateboard while he was still lying on the ground. The man who initially kicked the gunman to the ground can be seen running (right) as the gunshots broke out
The man with the skateboard stumbled away from the gunman clutching his chest (right) as another man appeared to put his hands up in front of the shooter
The man who put his hands up can be seen above attempting to cover himself as the gunman fired off his rifle
That same man was subsequently shot in the arm by the gunman (above). The man who was initially shot in the chest can be seen collapsed on the ground behind him
The armed man got back to his feet while the man who was shot in the chest laid on the ground and bystanders screamed and ran in terror
The man, who still had his gun slung across him, put up his hands and walked toward the squad cars as someone yelled at police that the man just shot someone. Several police cars drove past him toward the people who had been shot.
Police said they fear that the shooting stemmed from a conflict between 'self-styled militias' defending local businesses from looters amid the ongoing unrest over the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Blake remains in hospital after being shot multiple times by a white Kenosha officer on Sunday, prompting a wave of protests that continued despite a curfew.
Several civilians were carrying weapons during the protests on Tuesday night and the gunman was believed to have been guarding a local car shop at some point prior to the shootings, according to videos posted online.
The so-called militias have had weapons slung over their shoulders or at the ready while standing guard outside businesses to protect them from looters or arsonists.
The sheriff told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that armed vigilantes had been patrolling Kenosha's streets in recent nights, but he did not know if the gunman was among them.
However, video taken before the shooting shows police tossing bottled water from an armored vehicle to what appear to be armed civilians walking the streets. One of them appears to be Rittenhouse.
'We appreciate you being here,' an officer is heard saying to the group over a loudspeaker.
The sheriff later defended officers by saying, 'Our deputies would toss water to anybody.'
Cellphone video posted online shows that the ordeal unfolded after one man was shot in the head outside a nearby auto garage. The victim is pictured on the ground on the left while the gunman stands nearby. The videos showed the gunman running away (right) in the moments after the gunshots rang out and he could be heard saying: 'I've just killed somebody'
The same man was seen walking the streets of Kenosha carrying his gun. This image is believed to have been taken earlier in the evening prior to the shootings. Police said they fear that the shooting stemmed from a conflict between 'self-styled militias' defending local businesses but they have not officially confirmed if the gunman was part of the militia group
Several civilians were carrying weapons during the protests on Tuesday night and the gunman (far left and right) was believed to have been guarding a local car shop at some point prior to the shootings, according to videos posted online. At one point, police drove by and offered the group water
Witness Sam Dirks, 22, from Milwaukee, said he had seen the suspected gunman earlier in the evening and he was yelling at some of the protesters.
'He was definitely very agitated. He was pacing around, just pointing his gun in general. Not necessarily at anyone specifically,' Dirks said.
Another witness, Julio Rosas, 24, said that when the gunman stumbled and fell, 'two people jumped onto him and there was a struggle for control of his rifle. At that point during the struggle, he just began to fire multiple rounds and that dispersed people near him.'
'The rifle was being jerked around in all directions while it was being fired,' Rosas said.
Another protester Devin Scott told the Chicago Tribune that he witnessed the initial shooting and helped provide aid to the victim shot in the head.
'We were all chanting 'Black lives matter' at the gas station and then we heard, boom, boom, and I told my friend, that´s not fireworks,' the 19-year-old said.
'And then this guy with this huge gun runs by us in the middle of the street and people are yelling, 'He shot someone! He shot someone!' And everyone is trying to fight the guy, chasing him and then he started shooting again.'
Scott said he rushed to help the injured man, saying: 'I was cradling him in my arms. I was trying to keep this kid alive and he wasn't moving or nothing. He was just laying there.
'I didn't know what to do and then this woman starts performing CPR. There was no pulse. I don't think he made it.'
In the wake of the killings, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers authorized 500 members of the National Guard to support local law enforcement around Kenosha, doubling the number of troops sent in. The governor's office said he working other states to bring in additional National Guard troops and law officers.
Cellphone video posted online shows that the ordeal unfolded after one man was shot in the head outside an auto garage. It is not yet clear what happened in the lead up to the initial shooting. Onlookers were filmed desperately trying to put pressure on the injured man's head wound with a t-shirt as they yelled: 'We've got to keep him alive'
Footage from the scene showed this man after being shot in the arm. Police later said his injuries were not believed to be life threatening and that he was treated in hospital
This man appeared to suffer a gunshot wound to the arm during the ordeal. Police say he was treated in hospital for his injuries
The man shot in the chest is pictured above being dragged by two demonstrators before onlookers started giving him CPR
Before the gunfire erupted, police in riot gear fired rubber bullets, tear gas and flash-bang rounds to push back demonstrators who defied a dawn-to-dusk curfew and gathered outside a courthouse and adjacent park.
About 300 demonstrators defied the city's 8pm curfew again after Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency earlier following a night of violence and destruction that saw rioters set fire to businesses and vehicles across the city.
The shooting of Blake comes three months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis which sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department also deployed at least four armored patrol vehicles fitted with roof turrets from which deputies fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, many of whom hurled water bottles, bricks, firecrackers and other objects back at police.
But there was no immediate sign of buildings or cars being set ablaze, as happened on Monday night.
Demonstrators, some of whom were wearing helmets and equipped with makeshift protective gear, were seen trying to storm a black iron fence that had been installed earlier to protect the court from rioters.
Meanwhile, officers dressed in riot gear stood guard behind the barrier, holding up shields as protesters shouted expletives and hurled bottles at them.
Footage from the scene also showed people throwing fireworks in the direction of cops as they ignored their orders to disperse.
In one video shared by a journalist on Twitter, one man was seen trying to set fire to an American flag before being deterred by pepperballs fired by police.
A crowd of protesters continue their demonstrations in Wisconsin last night after the governor declared a state of emergency
Armed civilians stand in the streets of Kenosha to protect the area against the arson during third day of protests over the shooting of a black man Jacob Blake by police officer in Wisconsin, United States this morning
Police in riot gear clear a park during clashes with protesters outside the Kenosha County Courthouse late Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis
Protesters were seen hurling water bottles, bricks, firecrackers and other objects back at police as they fired rubber bullets and tears gas towards the crowds
Law enforcement pleaded with people to leave the area through loud speakers on armored vehicles while delivering a constant barrage of less lethal munitions and tear gas against a hostile crowd which kept up a return fire of lasers, debris, rocks, bottles and explosive devices as the cops moved to push the crowd
People, including members of the press, were seen running away as police fired tear gas towards the crowds
Chaos rocks Kenosha for a third night: Protests defied curfew and gathered outside the county courthouse on Tuesday night, clashing with police
Demonstrators were seen trying to topple over a black fence that was installed around the court earlier as officials braced for another night of destruction
Protesters gathered outside wearing helmets and masks, and some held makeshift shields as they prepared to face off with police
A man stood in front of law enforcement officers as they braced for a clash against protesters
A woman was seen shouting and flipping off police during the protest outside the courthouse on Tuesday
Kenosha County sheriffs deputies warned crowds over loud speaker that they were participating in an unlawful gathering while urging them to leave the area.
The crowd responded by chanting 'black lives matter', prompting police to fire rubber bullets.
Several military-style armored patrol vehicles were also called in and were seen maneuvering around the county courthouse, firing tear gas at the crowd.
About three hours after declaring the protest an unlawful assembly, authorities had managed to push Tuesday night's crowd out of the downtown park, with demonstrators scattering down streets.
The disturbances came hours after Governor Evers vowed to deploy additional National Guard troops in a bid to restore order in the town, while Blake's mother publicly appealed for calm during a press conference held outside the court.
On Tuesday, President Trump, who has consistently denounced the BLM protests that have rocked the country in recent months, urged Wisconsin officials to call in the National Guard to quell the unrest, despite troops already being on the ground.
'Governor should call in the National Guard in Wisconsin. It is ready, willing, and more than able. End problem FAST!' Trump tweeted.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later revealed Governor Evers had turned down Trump's offer for federal assistance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
A spokeswoman for Evers told the paper: 'The governor informed them that we would be increasing Wisconsin National Guard support in Kenosha and therefore would not need federal assistance in response to protests but would welcome additional federal support and resources for our state's response to COVID-19.'
A protester is seen tossing an object toward police as cops deployed tear gas and other crowd control munitions
Protesters took cover behind a trash bin as police fired tear gas and armored vehicles moved to the outside of the iron fence in front of the court
People were seen using umbrellas and plastic shields to protect themselves from tear gas and rubber bullets
A protester shielded himself with an umbrella and took cover behind a dumpster during clashes outside the Kenosha County Courthouse
Members of the crowd came armed with makeshift protective gear ahead of Tuesday's night skirmish
A law enforcement officer was seen emerging from the hatch of an armored vehicle to fire rubber bullets at protesters after they ignored orders to clear the area
Flares are seen near a Kenosha County Sheriff vehicle during the protests on Tuesday night
An explosive device detonates as a protester pushes back on an armored vehicle clearing the nearby park where crowds had gathered
Blake, 29, a father of six, was struck from behind at point-blank range in a hail of bullets fired on Sunday by police who were following him with guns drawn as he walked away from officers to his car and opened a door to the vehicle.
Three of his young sons inside the automobile - aged three, five and eight - witnessed their father being gunned down, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Blake family.
A bystander captured the encounter in video footage that immediately went viral, unleashing outrage over the latest in a long series of instances in which police have been accused of using indiscriminate lethal force against African Americans.
Blake, who had been attempting to break up a quarrel between two women, was struck by multiple gunshots fired at him, all by one officer.
Crump also revealed Blake was undergoing surgery for his injuries, adding that the bullets severed his spinal cord and shattered his vertebrae. Another attorney said there was also severe damage to organs.
'It's going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again,' Crump said.
An armored vehicle moves to the outside of the iron fence in front of the County Court House as police fired teargas towards protesters after they failed to clear the area
About three hours after declaring the protest an unlawful assembly, authorities had managed to push Tuesday night's crowd out of the downtown park, with demonstrators scattering down streets
Kenosha County sheriff deputies eventually moved to the streets to clear a park of protesters after they ignored police orders to disperse
Protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday began started off peacefully before descending into chaos as protesters defied curfew and targeted police
Protesters burn a small American flag during a third night of unrest in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police officers, in Kenosha
The legal team plans to file a civil lawsuit against the police department over the shooting.
Police have not explained why Blake was shot.
At a news conference earlier in the day, Blake's parents expressed anguish over the shooting while decrying two previous nights of looting, vandalism and arson that overshadowed peaceful street protests.
'They shot my son seven times, seven times, like he didn't matter,' Jacobv Blake Sr said tearfully as he spoke to reporters alongside other family members and lawyers.
'But my son matters. He's a human being and he matters.'
Blake's mother, Julia Jackson, said the damage in Kenosha does not reflect what her family wants and that, if her son could see it, he would be 'very unpleased.'
After a night during which protests devolved into unrest, Gov. Evers had called for calm Tuesday saying: 'We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue.'
'We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction.'
The night before crowds destroyed dozens of buildings and set more than 30 fires in the southeastern Wisconsin city's downtown.
On Monday, heavily armed residents were also seen standing guard outside buildings and local shops in case they were targeted by rioters.
In footage shared online, a group of men were seen carrying rifles and wearing combat gear as they protect local shops. They denied they are part of a militia.
Blake, who is a father of six, is now in a stable condition in hospital after undergoing surgery
Jacob Blake was shot in the back by Wisconsin police on Sunday as his three young sons watched on. He is now paralyzed from the waist down after his body was riddled with bullets, his father says. Blake is pictured above being treated just moments after the shooting
Blake's mother Julia Jackson (left) denounced the 'violence and destruction' that has rocked the city of Kenosha in the wake of the shooting and pleaded for calm on Tuesday. His father Jacob Blake Sr (right) became emotional as he spoke out against the cops who shot his son seven times
Police-obsessed gunman, 17, who is charged with murder of two BLM protesters during Kenosha riots sat front row at a Trump MAGA rally as video interview emerges of him bragging about being a vigilante before the mayhem unfolded
![Police-obsessed gunman, 17, who is charged with murder of two BLM protesters during Kenosha riots sat front row at a Trump MAGA rally as video interview emerges of him bragging about being a vigilante before the mayhem unfolded]()
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