A teenager accused of opening fire on a group at protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who killed two people yesterday, is in custody in Illinois, the Antioch Police Department announced in a Facebook post. The post did not name the 17-year-old, who she said is a resident of Antioch. But the state attorney’s office in Lake County, Illinois, said Kyle Rittenhouse was in federal court this morning over a refugee for justice in Wisconsin, and is not being held on bail. He had to return to court on Friday for a hearing for extradition.
Mobile video circulating on social media showed what appeared to be a white man with a semi-automatic rifle that opened fire on a group of people during demonstrations about the shooting of the police by Jacob Blake.
The video shows the man jogging down the street as a crowd follows him. Someone may be heard asking “What did he do?” and another person responds that the man shot someone. The man with the gun stumbles and falls, and when approached by people in the crowd, he fires several shots, hitting at least two people.
The man with the gun is then seen running to responding police cars, sometimes with his hands in the air, as some police cars drive past him.
Kenosha police identified the two people killed only as a 26-year-old from Silver Lake, Wisconsin, and a 36-year-old from Kenosha. Police said one person was injured, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, who was expected to survive.
The security guard from Kenosha County, Wisconsin, is accusing the youth of first-degree intentional murder, according to Antioch police.
The shooting occurred when clashes broke out again between protesters and law enforcement during a third night of unrest, looting and vandalism in Kenosha, where a police officer was seen on Sunday disturbing video shooting. Jacob Blake multiple times in the back. Lawyers for Blake’s family said he is paralysis of the mule downwards.
Tension also erupted earlier Tuesday between protesters and an armed group allegedly organized to protect property, CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV reported.
The Anti-Defamation League, which follows extremist activity, told CBS News that there were militia members at the Kenosha protest, but found no indication from Rittenhouse’s social media footprint that he was linked to extremist movements. His reports indicate that he is extremely pro-police and appears to be a former police explorer, a career-oriented program for young people considering a career in law enforcement. Many of his posts on social media use the phrase “Blue Lives Matter”, according to the ADL.
Arrest documents indicate that Rittenhouse is employed by the YMCA as a lifeguard.
In a statement, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the “violence and destruction that took place in Kenosha last night was despicable.”
“Kenosha residents deserve the opportunity to grieve, come together, peacefully protest, call for change, and heal,” Kaul wrote. “The heavily armed guards, arsonists, and other opportunists who came to Kenosha to try to quell the chaos have thereby harmed and caused drastic damage to people. As those who engage in violence and destruction of property believe they are pursuing a broader purpose, they will be wrong. They must leave Kenosha. “
Sarah Barth contributed reporting.
.
