Kenosha unrest shooting

This article is about the shooting that occurred amid the Kenosha unrest. For the shooting that caused said unrest, see Shooting of Jacob Blake.

Kenosha unrest shooting
Part of the Kenosha unrest
Rittenhouse earlier on the night of the shooting
DateAugust 25, 2020; 4 years ago
Time11:48–11:59 p.m. (CDT)
LocationKenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Coordinates42°34′49″N 87°49′17″W / 42.58028°N 87.82139°W / 42.58028; -87.82139
TypeDouble-homicide[a] by shooting
Deaths2
Non-fatal injuries1
AccusedKyle Howard Rittenhouse
Charges
VerdictNot guilty on all charges
LitigationWrongful death lawsuit by one of the deceased's father against Rittenhouse and others[1]

On August 25, 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, shot and killed two men and wounded another man in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The shootings occurred during the protests, riots, and civil unrest that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake. Race was a major theme in U.S. media commentary, although Rittenhouse and those he shot were white.[2][3] Rittenhouse was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and had joined a group of armed people in Kenosha who said that they were in Kenosha to protect businesses.[4][5]

Joseph D. Rosenbaum, a 36-year-old unarmed Kenosha man, ran at Rittenhouse and grabbed the barrel of his rifle[6] after throwing a plastic shopping bag of clothing at him. Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum four times at close range, killing him.[7][8][9][10] Rittenhouse fled and was pursued by a crowd.[4] Anthony Huber, a 26-year-old-resident of Silver Lake, struck Rittenhouse in the head with a skateboard and attempted to wrest his rifle away; Rittenhouse shot him once, fatally.[11][12][13] Gaige Paul Grosskreutz, a 26-year-old West Allis man who pointed a handgun at Rittenhouse, was shot by Rittenhouse once in the right arm and survived.[12][14][15]

Kenosha County prosecutors charged Rittenhouse with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, two counts of reckless endangerment, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and one count of curfew violation. His trial lasted from November 1 to 19, 2021. Prosecutors sought to show Rittenhouse as a criminal gunman, while defense lawyers argued that Rittenhouse had acted in self-defense, asserting that his attackers were part of a mob that "attacked him in the street like an animal" and that he used force necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself.[b] Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed the unlawful possession charge and the curfew violation charge for being legally unsupported,[17][18] and a jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of the remaining charges.[19]

Public sentiment of the shootings was polarized and media coverage both polarized and politicized.[20] Multiple right-wing politicians and figures welcomed Rittenhouse's acquittal, stating that the shootings were self-defense. President Joe Biden called for the jury's verdict to be respected, although stated that the verdict "will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included."[21][22] Multiple Democratic politicians and figures criticized the verdict as a miscarriage of justice, saying that the acquittal was emblematic of racial double standards in the American justice system.[23][24][25] Gun control advocates expressed concerns that the verdict would embolden vigilantism and militia groups.[26][21] An Economist/YouGov poll conducted during the trial found that two-thirds of Republicans thought Rittenhouse should be acquitted, while three-quarters of Democrats thought he should be convicted.[27]


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  1. ^ Bauer, Scott (February 2, 2023). "Lawsuit can proceed against Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse". AP News. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  2. ^ "Kyle Rittenhouse says his case "has nothing to do with race"". BBC. November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Man fatally shot by Kyle Rittenhouse during Kenosha protests "was reaching" for teen's gun, witness says". CBS News. November 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Bosman, Julie (November 14, 2021). "What to Know About the Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  5. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 2, 2021). "Friend who bought gun for Kyle Rittenhouse says the teen was "freaking out," pale and sweaty after Kenosha shootings". CNN. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Balch1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Analysis: Prosecutors face tough test in trial of U.S. teenage protest shooter Rittenhouse". Reuters. October 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Levenson, Eric; Parks, Brad; Hassan, Carma (November 10, 2021). "Kyle Rittenhouse testifies he knew Joseph Rosenbaum was unarmed but acted in self-defense during fatal shooting". CNN. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Layne, Nathan (November 13, 2021). "U.S. judge in Rittenhouse trial says jury can consider teen provoked attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Bauer, Scott; Webber, Tammy; Forliti, Amy; Tarm, Michael (November 9, 2021). "Pathologist: Rittenhouse shot first man at close range". AP News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  11. ^ "Kyle Rittenhouse trial: When can you shoot as self-defence?". BBC. November 9, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Victims of shooting during Kenosha protests engaged gunman". Associated Press. August 28, 2020. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  13. ^ Romo, Vanessa; Pruitt-Young, Sharon (November 20, 2021). "What we know about the 3 men who were shot by Kyle Rittenhouse". NPR. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  14. ^ Proctor, Clare (August 27, 2020). "Gaige Grosskreutz, wounded in the shooting during the evening of August 25, 2020, in Kenosha, will need arm surgery". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  15. ^ Gallagher, Shaun (November 20, 2021). "Rittenhouse shooting survivor disappointed by verdict, attorney says". TMJ4. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  16. ^ "Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 939: Crimes". Wisconsin State Legislature. 939.48 Self-defense and others.
  17. ^ Levenson, Eric; Parks, Brad; Hassan, Carma (November 10, 2021). "Prosecution rests its case against Kyle Rittenhouse and judge dismisses curfew violation charge". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  18. ^ Richmond, Todd (November 15, 2021). "Explainer: Why did judge drop Rittenhouse gun charge?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Vogt, Adrienne; Sangal, Aditi; Wagner, Meg; Macaya, Melissa; Mahtani, Melissa (November 19, 2021). "Rittenhouse jury reaches verdict". CNN. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  20. ^ Noor, Poppy (August 28, 2020). "Vigilante, volunteer, terrorist: how the US media covers Kyle Rittenhouse". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Sabur, Rozina (November 20, 2021). "Joe Biden told to "apologise" to Kyle Rittenhouse for white supremacist label". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  22. ^ Carvajal, Nikki (November 19, 2021). "Biden reacts to Rittenhouse verdict: "The jury system works, and we have to abide by it"". CNN. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Feinberg, Andrew (November 19, 2021). "Squad blasts Kyle Rittenhouse verdict as AOC says "my heart breaks"". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Bowden, John (November 19, 2021). "Judiciary chair wants DOJ to review Rittenhouse verdict: "A miscarriage of justice"". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  25. ^ Lonas, Lexi (November 19, 2021). "Trump congratulates Rittenhouse on acquittal". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  26. ^ Ax, Joseph (November 21, 2021). "Hero or vigilante? Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  27. ^ McGraw, Meridith (November 19, 2021). "The lionization of Kyle Rittenhouse by the right". POLITICO. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.