An armed white man, identified as part of a group of vigilante militiamen who claimed to be protecting businesses from damage by people rioting, shot three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night—two of them fatally. The man was later seen in video walking past police vehicles with arms raised in surrender, but he was not arrested and kept walking. However, on Wednesday morning, he was charged with first-degree murder.
The shootings occurred during the third night of protests in Kenosha, following the Sunday shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, by Kenosha police. Kenosha police later issued a statement that they had tentatively identified the gunman, and then announced that the man—a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois—had been charged with first-degree murder, and was being sought as a fugitive.
The complaint identifies the shooter as Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch. It also names him as a “fugitive from justice,” having “fled the state of Wisconsin with intent to avoid prosecution for that offense.”
Captured on multiple videos, the shootings apparently began in the parking lot of a gas station/repair shop at about 11:45 PM. Witnesses said the shooter, who was carrying a semi-automatic rifle and wearing a green T-shirt, got into a confrontation with a protester at whom he then fired multiple rounds. One of these apparently hit the protester in the head.
Video shows the shooter surveying the body of the victim while talking on a cell phone and telling someone that “I just shot someone,” then fleeing the scene.
Subsequent videos shot by other witnesses show a number of protesters following the shooter, who at one point stumbles and falls to the street without having been contacted. As he tries to recover himself, three other protesters approach him and try to take his gun away, at which he opens fire on them as well. One of his victims, shot in the arm, shouts for a medic.
The man then gets back on his feet and continues down the street until he encounters arriving police vehicles. Although he puts his hands up, the police apparently ignore him, and the man then continues walking away.
According to police, one of the people killed was shot in the head, and the other was shot in the chest. The third victim was shot in the arm.
A militia group calling itself the Kenosha Guard had organized on Facebook, ostensibly to prevent violence at the protests. On Monday, it had published a post calling for “Armed Citizens to Protect Our Lives and Property,” with text reading: “Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from the evil thugs? No doubt they are currently planning on the next part of the city to burn tonight.”
After the shooting, the Facebook page featured a post reading: “We are unaware if the armed citizen was answering the Kenosha Guard Militia’s call to arms. Just like the shooting of Jacob Blake, we need all the facts and evidence to come out before we make a judgement.” The Kenosha Guard’s Facebook page was subsequently taken down.
Rittenhouse was captured in video taken earlier in the evening in which he and several militiamen appeared to be getting water bottles handed to them by Kenosha police. In that video, he says: “By the way, I’m Kyle.”
Several antifascist social media accounts identified the man as Rittenhouse, noting that he has a history of associations with police, including enrolling in a local “police cadet” program. Rittenhouse’s Facebook was also festooned with “Blue Lives Matter” material and logos.
On Monday, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth had publicly refused to deputize citizens to patrol the city’s streets. After the shootings Tuesday, he reiterated that position.
“I’ve had people saying, ‘Why don’t you deputize citizens?’” he said. “This is why you don’t deputize citizens with guns to protect Kenosha.”
