Kyle Rittenhouse, who is suspected of involvement in fatally shooting two people and wounding another during the Kenosha, Wisconsin, protests on Tuesday night, appears to have long been interested in law enforcement and considered himself a militia member working to protect property, social media posts and reports indicate.
Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first degree intentional homicide for his alleged role in the shootings. He is presently jailed in nearby Lake county, according to law enforcement documents.
The teen appears to be a supporter of Donald Trump and posted a TikTok video from a Trump rally he attended in Iowa in January, where images show him in the front, BuzzFeed News reported.
A Trump 2020 campaign spokesman told the news outlet: This individual had nothing to do with our campaign and we fully support our fantastic law enforcement for their swift action in this case.
A Facebook account under Rittenhouses name, which can no longer be accessed, contained photos of him posing with an apparent assault-style rifle. Text surrounding the photo includes the pro-police phrase blue lives matter. Several other photos on this profile page feature that wording, as well as images showing local law enforcement agencies logos.
Video from the protest on Tuesday night show a man who appears to be Rittenhouse walking amid demonstrators carrying a semi-automatic rifle.
Following the shootings the man could be seen on video approaching police vehicles still holding his rifle and with his hands raised. He calls out to police as police cars drive past him ignoring shouts from bystanders that he was the shooter.
Police said Rittenhouse was a former member of a youth police cadet program, CNN reported a program designed for 14- to 20-year-olds to explore a career in law enforcement.
In December 2018, Rittenhouse created a fundraiser for Humanizing the Badge, an organization seeking to forge stronger relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. The post indicates that Rittenhouse was seeking donations for his birthday.
Their mission means a lot to me, and I hope youll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me, the post read.
A Facebook page belonging to a middle-aged woman identifies this same Rittenhouse as her son. On this page, this woman and a boy who appears to be Rittenhouse are posing in a photo together and he is wearing a law enforcement-style uniform.
Several videos posted to TikTok also show a male who appears to be Rittenhouse firing guns.
In a video posted to Twitter by a journalist for the conservative media outlet the Daily Caller, a male who appears to be Rittenhouse stands with his gun, explaining why he is present at protests.
So people are getting injured and our job is to protect this business, he explained, saying that part of his job was also to help injured people. Im running into harms way, thats why I have my rifle, he said, to protect myself obviously.
I also have my med kit, he said, showing an orange bag to the camera.
Law enforcement and civic leaders in Kenosha have slammed armed out-of-towners for coming to Kenosha in recent nights, to agitate, or with the delusion that they are aiding security or just, as the county sheriff, David Beth, said, to treat the unrest like a show.
On Thursday, James McKay, superintendent of Community High School District 117, which serves Antioch, confirmed that Rittenhouse attended Lakes Community high school for one semester during the 2017-18 school year.
And, citing court records, the Chicago Tribune reported that Rittenhouse was a lifeguard at a Lindenhurst, Illinois, YMCA.
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Teen charged in killings of BLM protesters considered himself a militia member - The Guardian
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