17-year-old charged with 6 counts in killing of 2 people during Kenosha protests
Protestors confront police in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 25. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse on six counts — including first degree reckless homicide and first degree intentional homicide — related to the shooting deaths of two people and wounding of one during protests in Kenosha on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Rittenhouse could face a mandatory life sentence if convicted on first-degree intentional homicide, according to AP.
The big picture: Protests erupted in Kenosha this week after police were filmed shooting 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man, multiple times in the back. Rittenhouse was allegedly part of an armed group who said they were protecting private property from violent protesters.
Details ... Rittenhouse faces the following counts, according to a criminal complaint filed on Thursday:
- Count 1: First degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
- Count 2: First degree endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
- Count 3: First degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
- Count 4: Attempt first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
- Count 5: First degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
- Count 6: Possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18