Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, arrested for murder in Wisconsin protest shooting
The Illinois teen was arrested for allegedly killing two protesters following the police shooting of Jacob Blake
A 17-year old has been arrested for the murder in the shooting death of two Wisconsin protesters.
Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two men who have not yet been identified, reported The Daily Dot, which obtained a public document from the Lake County, Illinois Clerk of Courts.
Rittenhouse, who is from Antioch, Illinois was described as a “fugitive from justice.” He used a semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
Rittenhouse was also cited as fleeing “the state of Wisconsin with intent to avoid prosecution for that offense.” A public defender has been assigned to him and he will appear for an extradition hearing in the coming days.
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As theGrio previously reported, the killings occurred Tuesday evening during the third night of civil unrest following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse was characterized as being a “white vigilante,” according to social media reports.
Lt. Joseph Nosalik stated in a news release that the shootings were reported at around 11:45 p.m. yesterday. It occurred where protests have sprung forth in Kenosha in the aftermath of Blake’s near-fatal shooting on Sunday when he was shot at least seven times by police.
Read More: Jacob Blake left paralyzed after shot from behind by police, father says
Nosalik added that Rittenhouse firing his weapon at protestors happened after police drove away from the courthouse which had been where many of the confrontations were taking place.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said one victim was shot in the head and another was shot in the chest, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Beth didn’t know where the other person was shot, but his or her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
A protester witnessed the shooting.
“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,” Devin Scott, 19, told the Chicago Tribune. “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.”
Others on social media highlighted the fact that after Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed those in his path, he was simply allowed to walk away in the presence of authorities.
Blake was shot with his back turned to police. Blake has since been left paralyzed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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