What we learned from the 2nd week of the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial
Kyle Rittenhouse (left) listens to his attorney Mark Richards as he takes the stand during his trial on Wednesday in Kenosha, Wis.
In August last year protests erupted in the city of Kenosha Wisconsin following the police shooting and injuring a twenty-nine-year-old Black man. On August 25, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse went to the city from his home in Antioch Illinois with the self-proclaimed intention of acting as a medic and protecting private property. While there, he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and then shot Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz minutes later, killing Huber and injuring Grosskreutz. He is now on trial for his actions where he maintains that he acted in self-defense while the prosecution argues that his reckless actions led directly to the violence. The case appears to favor Rittenhouse as video-evidence shows Rosenbaum aggressively chasing him and the state’s witnesses offering testimony that weakens the prosecution’s case, with the worst moment for the prosecution coming during the cross- examination of Grosskreutz. Defense Attorney Chirafisi said, “It wasn't until you pointed your gun at him — advanced on him with your gun, now your hands down, pointed at him — that he fired, right?” after which Grosskreutz replied, “Correct.” The prosecution is now asking that the Jury be allowed to consider lesser charges in the hope of landing a lesser version of the first-degree homicide for the killing of Huber, Rittenhouse’s most serious charge.