A white man has been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a protest for Jacob Blake. According to Lake County, Illinois Clerk of Courts records, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide on Wednesday (Aug. 26). The records labeled him as “fugitive from justice” who “fled the state of Wisconsin with intent to avoid prosecution for that offense.”
Video of the shootings went viral Wednesday morning (Aug. 26). The first clip showed Rittenhouse —wearing a green shirt and holding a large rifle — as shots rang out in a parking lot. One man is left lying on the ground with a fatal head injury. In the video, Rittenhouse can be heard saying, “I just killed someone” over the phone before fleeing the scene.
In another video after the first shooting, a group of people chase Rittenhouse down and throw objects at him. He turns and opens fire on the crowd and another person is seen laying on the ground, possibly the second gunshot victim. A third person was also shot during the night, though he is expected to survive.
An earlier clip showed Rittenhouse again, this time with members of the reported armed militia who police have said descended on the city. The group could be seen walking alongside police cars as cops threw them water bottles and said they “appreciate” them.
Internet sleuths searched for Rittenhouse on Facebook and found that he is a “Blue Lives Matter” supporter. He was arrested near his hometown of Antioch, Illinois after fleeing Wisconsin. According to records, he is expected to appear in court for an extradition hearing on Friday (Aug. 28).
Kenosha police have yet to identify any of the shooting victims. In a press statement shared via Facebook, the department said their investigation into the incident is active and ongoing.
See some videos of the shootings below. Warning: the videos are extremely graphic.