Kyle Rittenhouse, the armed 17-year-old who was captured on video firing his weapon after coming under attack by Black Lives Matter rioters, is now facing six felony counts for the deadly shooting that left two men dead and another injured in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. The identities of the two men killed and the one injured were reported by journalist Andy Ngo on Thursday.
The AP reports that prosecutors have now charged Rittenhouse with one count of first-degree intentional homicide, one count of first-degree reckless homicide, one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. If convicted on the first-degree intentional homicide charge -- Wisconsin's most serious crime -- Rittenhouse faces a mandatory life sentence.
According to Ngo, the first rioter killed was Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, a registered sex offender convicted of a sex crime involving a minor. Video allegedly shows Rosenbaum chasing Rittenhouse down in the lot of car dealership and throwing something at the teenager before the shooting. As Townhall's Julio Rosas reported earlier, Rosenbaum was also filmed earlier that day taunting armed men to "Shoot me, n***a."
The second rioter killed was Anthony Huber, 26, who was shot while beating the Rittenhouse over the head with a skateboard after Rittenhouse tripped and fell to the ground. Like Rosenbaum, Huber has a criminal record that includes charges of domestic abuse and battery, according to Ngo.
The third rioter, who was shot but not killed, was 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz, an alleged member of the People's Revolution Movement. Grosskreutz was filmed chasing Rosenbaum down with a pistol before Rosenbaum opened fire and shot Grosskreutz in the arm. Like the other violent rioters, Ngo says Grosskreutz also has a criminal record that includes being intoxicated and armed with a gun.
Following the shooting, the mob chasing Rittenhouse backs away. Rittenhouse, who lives about 15 miles away from Kenosha, was taken into custody Wednesday morning without incident. Rittenhouse's attorney, Lin Wood, says the teenager was only acting in self-defense.
"From my standpoint, it’s important that the message be clear to other Americans who are attacked that there will be legal resources available in the event false charges are brought against them," Wood said, as reported by the AP. "Americans should never be deterred from exercising their right of self-defense."
Rittenhouse reportedly traveled to Kenosha to help law enforcement maintain order after the city came under disturbing violence and unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse was spotted earlier in the day joining other volunteers to help remove graffiti from a local high school.
Suspected teen gunman Kyle Rittenhouse spotted cleaning Kenosha graffiti before shooting https://t.co/Cm2t1DFqws pic.twitter.com/lFgz8qh7cC
— New York Post (@nypost) August 27, 2020