Home Scandal and Gossip Was it self defense? Kenosha teen gunman charged w/ homicide

Was it self defense? Kenosha teen gunman charged w/ homicide

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Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha teen gunman
Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha teen gunman: wanton aggression or defending his own life?
Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha teen gunman
Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha teen gunman: wanton aggression or defending his own life?

Kyle Rittenhouse Kenosha teen gunman charged with homicide. Debate emerges whether the teen acted in self defense as new video emerges.

Prosecutors have charged a 17-year-old from Illinois in the fatal shooting of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the wounding of a third.

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley filed the charges against Kyle Rittenhouse, Thursday afternoon. The charges include one count of first-degree intentional homicide; one count of first-degree reckless homicide; one count of attempted first-degree intentional homicide; two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. All those charges are felonies.

AP reports the teen could face a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, the most serious crime in Wisconsin.

Second Amendment proponents have since argued on social media that Rittenhouse was within his bounds using gun power, to ‘defend his life,’ raising the question had the teen illicitly used firepower following skirmishes during Tuesday night or had he simply sought to save himself from what he perceived to be mortal threats to his life, ‘while being chased by rioters?’ 

Complicating the case of whether Rittenhouse is culpable is what many in right wing press decried, ‘leftist media’ portraying Rittenhouse as a white supremacist, along with claims he is a wanton murderer.

White supremacist on a mission or acting in self defense? 

Contradicting claims the teen was a supremacist intent on leashing venom on BLM protesters is a New York Times report which found ‘multiple posts on his social media accounts proclaim support for pro-police causes like the Blue Lives Matter movement and Humanize the Badge, a nonprofit that he ran a Facebook fund-raiser for on his 16th birthday.’ – causes that do not constitute bias against blacks or minorities, but rather an affirmation for authority.

But perhaps the real question that ought to be asked is what exactly happened during the unleashing of gunfire that led to two Kenosha locals being killed- Joseph ‘JoJo’ Rosenblaum & Anthony Huber along with a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz – shown in video running towards Rittenhouse with a drawn gun aimed at the youth lying on the ground.

Video showed Rittenhouse being pursued (see above) by a visibly hostile and aggressive Rosenbaum, ‘an unknown gunman fires into the air, though it’s unclear why.’

The weapon’s muzzle flash appears in footage filmed at the scene. Rittenhouse turns toward the sound of the gunfire as another pursuer [Rosenbaum] lunges toward him from the same direction. Rittenhouse then fires four times, and appears to shoot the man in the head.

Trial by the press? 

Reports blaze: ‘Rittenhouse was being chased by a group of angry adults who were throwing things at him, and he hears a nearby gunshot. For all he knows, the shot might have been intended for him. As Rittenhouse was looking around attempting to locate the source of the sound, Rosenbaum charged him.’ 

From there, video captured Rittenhouse fleeing the scene as the mob began to chase him further after the shooting. Upon trying to escape, Rittenhouse tripped and fell to the ground where he was accosted by Anthony Huber with a raised skateboard aimed at the fallen youth who in turn fatally shooting Huber in the chest, along with a third manGaige Grosskreutz– an activist with People’s Revolution Movementwho had a handgun in the arm who was seen charging at Rittenhouse. Both men it is claimed had sought to disarm ‘the fleeing teen.’ At no stage were police called to intercede.

Continues the blaze: ‘As the Times notes, Rittenhouse then noted the presence of police nearby, and began walking toward them with his hands up in a clear attempt to surrender to the police (and likely avail himself of some safety from the mob that was chasing him). The police, however, drove past him without stopping, so Rittenhouse fled.’ 

Investigators have much to piece together and prosecutors might have ceded to pressure to throw the ‘legal book’ at the teen, but polarized divide may continue to demand that Kyle Rittenhouse be freed and absolved of charges or have charges downgraded as many on social media continued to call the teen an unlikely hero.

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