Kyle Rittenhouse will NOT face gun charges in Illinois because the AR-15 rifle he used to kill two protesters in Kenosha was purchased in Wisconsin
Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse will not face gun charges in his home state of Illinois because the AR-15 rifle he allegedly used to kill two people during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Black was purchased in Wisconsin.
Prosecutors with the Lake County State's Attorney's Office announced the development on Tuesday after they said an investigation confirmed the rifle used in the Kenosha protest shooting was both bought and stored in Wisconsin.
There is no evidence the gun was ever physically possessed by 17-year-old Rittenhouse in Illinois, prosecutors said.
Rittenhouse, who lives with his mother in Antioch, remains in a juvenile detention center in Lake County without bond due to pending criminal charges in Kenosha.
He is due back in Lake County court on October 30 for an extradition hearing.
Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse will not face gun charges in his home state of Illinois because the AR-15 rifle he allegedly used to kill two people during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Black was purchased in Wisconsin. Video posted on social media showed Rittenhouse roaming the streets with the rifle in his hands
Lawyers for Rittenhouse say the weapon he allegedly used during the August 25 shooting belonged to a friend. An investigation by the Lake County Attorney's Office found no evidence that the gun was ever physically possessed by the 17-year-old in Illinois
Prosecutors accused Rittenhouse of killing two men and injuring a third on August 25 during unrest sparked by the shooting of Blake, a black man who was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer two days earlier.
The teen allegedly shot and killed 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum after Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag at him and tried to wrestle his rifle away, as seen in graphic footage posted on social media.
Video shows that Rittenhouse subsequently tripped in the street before 26-year-old Anthony Huber hit him with a skateboard and also tried to take his rifle away.
Rittenhouse opened fire, killing Huber and wounding bystander Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a handgun at the time.
The teen, who was said to have traveled to Kenosha to 'protect the streets', is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of Rosenbaum and Huber, and attempted intentional homicide for wounding Grosskreutz.
He is also charged with misdemeanor possession of a dangerous weapon while younger than 18.
Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum after Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag at him and tried to wrestle his rifle away, as seen in footage posted on social media. The photo above shows that Rittenhouse subsequently tripped in the street before 26-year-old Anthony Huber hit him with a skateboard and also tried to take his rifle away
Rittenhouse then opened fire, killing Huber and wounding bystander Gaige Grosskreutz
Rittenhouse is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of two protesters: Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber
An attorney working with Rittenhouse's legal team said the gun he used belonged to an unidentified friend, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Rittenhouse's arrest has become a rallying point for some on the right, with a legal defense fund that has attracted millions of dollars in donations.
But others see Rittenhouse as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited the protesters.
Defense attorneys have portrayed Rittenhouse as a courageous patriot who was exercising his right to bear arms.
They have argued against his extradition to Wisconsin, saying: 'This is not a legitimate criminal prosecution, it is a political prosecution.'
Rittenhouse remains held in a juvenile detention center in Lake County without bond due to pending criminal charges in Kenosha. He is pictured during a hearing on October 9