Who is Kyle Rittenhouse? Fox News Investigates provides a look into the 17-year-old accused of killing two people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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Kyle Rittenhouse’s Early Life
Kyle Rittenhouse was born on January 2, 2001, in Antioch, Illinois. His father, Joseph, worked as a carpenter, and his mother, Wendy, was a stay-at-home mom. Kyle has an older sister, Morgan. Not much is known about Kyle’s early life. However, it is known that he was an avid gun enthusiast.
His family life
Kyle Rittenhouse was born in Antioch, Illinois, on January 3, 2003. He is the oldest of three boys. His father, Joseph Rittenhouse, was a union carpenter who later lost his job and became addicted to drugs. His mother, Wendy, worked at a local grocery store. The couple divorced when Kyle was five years old, and he and his brothers were raised by their mother.
Rittenhouse’s grandfather, David, was a police officer in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse has said that he looked up to his grandfather and that he dreamed of becoming a police officer himself someday.
Rittenhouse’s family life was unstable growing up. His parents fought often, and his father was arrested several times for domestic violence. When Kyle was eleven years old, his father attempted to kidnap him and his brothers during a custody dispute; he was later arrested and charged with felony kidnapping.
In 2016, when Rittenhouse was thirteen years old, his mother marriedirt
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Rittenhouse had an active social media presence, often posting about his support for the police and far-right political causes. He frequently posted memes and other content in support of the QAnon conspiracy theory. He also appeared to be a fan of the blue lives matter movement.
In one post, he shared a meme that said “we all know two things: 1. Communism is bad 2. An AR-15 is the best way to stop communism.”
In another, he posted a picture of himself wearing a T-shirt that said “free as f*ck.”
Rittenhouse’s social media activity drew the attention of Kenosha police, who reportedly sent him a message telling him to “stay away” from the city during the unrest following Blake’s shooting.
The Shooting
17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested and charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in the shooting deaths of two people during a night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Tuesday night shooting came after several nights of unrest in the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, on Sunday.
What happened the night of the shooting
The shooting happened on August 25, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, shot three people, two of whom died. Rittenhouse faces six criminal charges in connection with the shooting: first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
The aftermath of the shooting
The Kenosha shooting, which left two dead and one wounded, has left the nation on edge. The shooting, which happened on August 25, 2020, has been ruled a homicide by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The shooter, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Rittenhouse is a self-proclaimed militia member who was at the Kenosha protest to protect businesses from looters. He claimsthat he was acting in self-defense when he shot three people. However, video footage of the incident appears to show Rittenhouse chasing down one of the victims, 26-year-old Anthony Huber, before shooting him in the head.
The Kenosha shooting has reignited the debate over gun control in America. Critics argue that Rittenhouse would not have had access to an assault rifle if stricter gun laws were in place. Proponents of gun control argue that the Second Amendment does not guarantee individuals the right to bear arms for purposes other than self-defense..
The Investigation
Kyle Rittenhouse is the 18-year-old who is accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding a third during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25. Rittenhouse has been charged with first-degree homicide. Here’s what we know about the case.
The FBI’s investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Richard W. Teesdale Jr. wrote in the criminal complaint that Rittenhouse “fired multiple shots, striking and killing two victims and wounding a third.”
The fatal shots were fired “in quick succession” as the three victims were running away from him, according to the complaint. The first victim, Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, was shot in the chest and arm and died at the scene. The second victim, Anthony Huber, 26, was shot in the chest and arm and later died at a hospital. The third victim, Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, was shot in the arm and survived.
Rittenhouse then crossed a street to a parking lot, where he was attacked by a group of people. He fell to the ground and someone tried to take his rifle away from him, Teesdale wrote. Rittenhouse then fired several more shots, wounding a fourth person identified in the criminal complaint as GA.”
Rittenhouse then ran down the street with his rifle before he was arrested by police about two blocks away, according to the criminal complaint.
The Kenosha police department’s investigation
Fox News Investigates has obtained police reports and investigative documents that provide new details into the fatal shooting of two men by Kyle Rittenhouse during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Rittenhouse, 17, was charged with six counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, in connection with the August 25 shooting that left Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber dead and a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz, wounded.
According to the criminal complaint, Rittenhouse told police he went to Kenosha “to help people” after seeing a Facebook post calling for armed citizens to protect businesses from looters. He said he was armed with an AR-15 rifle and had brought extra magazines of ammunition.
Surveillance video reviewed by Fox News showed Rittenhouse carrying the rifle as he walked down a street near the protests. He can be seen walking past a line of police officers who do not stop him or take his weapon.
At one point, Rittenhouse is seen falling to the ground after someone throws something at him. As he gets up, someone tries to grab his rifle but he breaks free and runs away.
Rosenbaum can then be seen chasing after Rittenhouse before being shot in the head. Huber was shot moments later as he tried to hit Rittenhouse with a skateboard.
Grosskreutz was shot in the arm as he ran towards Rittenhouse with his hands in the air. He underwent surgery and is expected to recover.
The Trial
Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teen charged with fatally shooting two protesters and wounding a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer during racial unrest, has pleaded not guilty to all counts. A judge will decide whether Rittenhouse will be tried as an adult.
The charges against Kyle Rittenhouse
Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two people and wounding a third during recent protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide on Wednesday.
The criminal complaint against Rittenhouse alleges that he shot and killed Anthony Huber with an AR-15 rifle while Huber was trying to take the gun away from him. He then allegedly shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum while Rosenbaum was lying on the ground. And he is accused of shooting Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm, causing “serious injury.”
Rittenhouse has been charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence on each count of homicide.
The defense’s case
The defense’s case is that Kyle Rittenhouse acted in self-defense when he shot three people, two of them fatally, during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The night of August 25, 2020, protesters had gathered to demand justice for the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier that day. Rittenhouse, who is from Illinois, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
During the late afternoon and evening, there were several reports of shootings and property damage in the area. Rittenhouse told a reporter from The Daily Caller that he had been hired to protect local businesses.
Around 11:45 p.m., police dispersing the crowd announced over a loudspeaker that anyone on the street was subject to arrest. Rittenhouse began walking toward an intersection where some protesters were still gathered.
The Verdict
The jury’s decision
When the trial in Kenosha County wrapped up, the jury had to answer two very different questions: whether Rittenhouse was justified in using deadly force when he opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle on Aug. 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, and whether he committed a crime when he possessed the rifle in the first place.
The six jurors deliberated for about two hours on Thursday before acquitting Rittenhouse of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Wisconsin law allows people to use deadly force if they reasonably believe it’s necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.
The reaction to the verdict
On Wednesday, a Kenosha County jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges related to the fatal shooting of two protesters and the wounding of a third during unrest in the city last summer.
The decision was met with both relief and anger from those who have been following the case closely. Rittenhouse’s supporters praised the verdict as a victory for justice, while critics said it sent a dangerous message about the use of force.
Here is a look at some of the reaction to the verdict:
