On Wednesday, new details emerged regarding Kyle Howard Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who was charged with shooting and killing two people and injuring another individual at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Buzzfeed News reported that months before this situation, Rittenhouse appeared in the front row at a Donald Trump rally in January in Iowa. Rittenhouse reportedly killed two individuals and injured another amidst a protest for Jacob Blake, an unarmed African-American man who was shot in the back seven times by police.
On his social media accounts, Rittenhouse was a vocal supporter of Trump and Blue Lives Matter, a movement that was formed in response to Black Lives Matter. On Jan. 30, which is when the Des Moines, Iowa rally took place, Rittenhouse could be seen in the front row just feet away from the president. He even posted a Tik Tok video from the event on his account. In light of this news, Tim Murtaugh, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, released a statement, which read, “President Trump has repeatedly and consistently condemned all forms of violence and believes we must protect all Americans from chaos and lawlessness. This individual had nothing to do with our campaign and we fully support our fantastic law enforcement for their swift action in this case.”
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On Tuesday night, Rittenhouse went with his rifle to protests that were being held in response to the shooting of Blake, who is now paralyzed following the incident. He reportedly went to assist police and protect property in an unofficial capacity. As seen in videos from the situation, Rittenhouse could reportedly be seen speaking with officers and trying to grab their attention. The 17-year-old was considered a fugitive on the run by the end of the night for his alleged involvement in the shooting of individuals who attended the protest. Rittenhouse was arrested on Wednesday morning in Antioch, Illinois, and he is expected to be extradited to Wisconsin to face charges of first-degree intentional homicide.
Rittenhouse’s mother did not respond to Buzzfeed News’ request for comment. Additionally, the Lake County Public Defender’s Office, which defended Rittenhouse in court on Wednesday, told the outlet that they do not comment on active cases. His arrest record, which came via the Antioch police, stated that he “fled the state of Wisconsin with the intent to avoid prosecution for the offense.” The 17-year-old is from Antioch, which is about 20 miles from Kenosha, where he lives with his mother and siblings.
