Kyle Rittenhouse — the teen charged with first-degree homicide over the shooting of 3 people at Kenosha protests — was obsessed with Blue Lives Matter and appeared 'on edge' before shots rang out
- A suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting of three people, two of whom died, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
- The police identified the shooter as an Illinois teenager named Kyle Rittenhouse. He was spotted earlier in the night standing guard with militia members outside local businesses.
- Video showed a person, now believed to be Rittenhouse, firing a semiautomatic rifle at people at close range in a crowded street during a struggle.
- On social media, Rittenhouse idolized the police, guns, and the Blue Lives Matter movement.
- On Wednesday he was arrested at his home in Antioch, Illinois, about 20 miles from Kenosha.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting of three people — two of whom have died — during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night.
The teenager is from Antioch, Illinois, and is said to have crossed state lines to stand guard outside businesses during unrest stemming from the police shooting of Jacob Blake days earlier.
He was taken into custody and will be charged with first-degree intentional homicide, USA Today's Nick Penzenstadler tweeted first on Wednesday.
Protesters from Wisconsin and surrounding states took to the streets over the past three nights, enraged over the shooting of Blake and other Black people by the police.
As organized protests ended after the 8 p.m. curfew, the police pushed crowds from the police station and courthouse, Koerri Elijah, a Kenosha resident who was on scene, told Insider.
After that, unorganized chaos filled the streets. Arsonists burned numerous businesses, and vandals smashed countless cars and city vehicles.
Small groups of armed civilians took it upon themselves to defend the town's businesses, with some stationed outside a gas station.
About midnight, protesters and some militia members were gathered in the area, with some arguing, but it wasn't violent, Elijah, who was filming the protests, told Insider.
Elijah said that he noticed Rittenhouse — whose identity was unclear at the time — and that he didn't seem to be a part of any organized group. He appeared more erratic and "on edge" than the others, Elijah said.
"I noticed him the entire time. He didn't seem like he was there with anyone," he said. "He was armed. He didn't seem like he was a threat, but I thought maybe I should keep an eye on him."
Elijah said that at some point the teen ran past him, and not long after that he heard gunfire.
Shots appeared to be fired in two locations, as seen in several videos posted on social media. Two of the victims — one of whom was shot in the head — have since died. Another was hospitalized.
In one video, a male gunman wielding a semiautomatic rifle is seen running through a crowd of people in a street. One person appears to yell "That guy shot someone."
From there, he is chased by a crowd of people when he trips and falls.
As several people move close to him — with one kicking him, and another striking him with a skateboard — he opens fire. Two more people are shot: one in the chest and one in the arm.
Directly following what appears to be the second shooting, a group of police vehicles advances on the crowd. The gunman, thought to be Rittenhouse, walks toward them and can be seen alternately putting his hands up and touching his gun. As he approaches, the vehicles drive away and the gunman gives them a slight wave.
Footage of the incident was posted on Twitter by Brendan Gutenschwager, a videographer who regularly films protests.
The New York Times' Visual Investigations team deciphered the order that the videos from the scene were taken.
In another video, a teen who appears to be Rittenhouse is seen walking away from an injured protester on the ground, talking on a cellphone.
As the gunman jogs away, the audio includes screaming and a voice says "I just killed someone."
Idolizing the police
Hours before the police named Rittenhouse as a suspect, web sleuths had already gone to work tracking him down online and shared details about his social-media presence.
On Facebook, Rittenhouse, who lives about 20 miles from Kenosha, posed with a long gun while dressed in American-flag slippers. Several of his photos on Facebook were set on the background of Blue Lives Matter flags and insignia.
In one photo, he posed in the front row of a Trump rally.
Another from 2017 shows him dressed as a safety cadet, a program for youths interested in law enforcement, at Target. The photo has since been removed.
Rittenhouse was also identified in a local newsletter as a "fire protection cadet" in the same region of Illinois.
His Instagram account also has a Blue Lives Matter backdrop, but was set to private on Wednesday.
The teenager made his fascination with public service and police clear on social media.
In January, Rittenhouse attempted to join the Marine Corps, but was disqualified after talking with recruiters, Marine spokeswoman Yvonne Carlock told The Washington Post.
More recently he worked as a part-time lifeguard at the YMCA in Lindenhurst, IL, the Chicago Tribune reported.
On Tuesday, though, he took it upon himself to travel out of state and patrol the streets of a city where he didn't live.
He was seen in videos talking with reporters on scene and being tossed a bottle of water by police.
"Part of my job also is to protect people," Rittenhouse told the Daily Caller before the shooting started. "If someone is hurt, I'm running into harm's way. That's why I have my rifle. I've got to protect myself, obviously."
Attempts to reach Rittenhouse's family were unsuccessful.
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