Murder Suspect Kyle Rittenhouse Posts $2 Million Bail after Kenosha Murder Charges
After spending 2 ½ months behind bars in the Kenosha County Jail, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, was released last Friday from custody after posting his $2 million bail.
The teen is facing charges for the shooting death of 26-year-old Anthony Huber and 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum. Rittenhouse is also facing charges for the wounding of 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz. The shootings took place during protests that turned violent in Kenosha, Wisconsin on the evening of August 25.
The protests that led up to the fatal shootings in Kenosha were the result of the shooting of an unarmed black man, Jacob Blake, by officer Rusten Sheskey. Incidents of both shootings were captured on video and helped propel both Blake and Rittenhouse into the national spotlight. However, it remains unclear what happened in the events leading up to both shootings.
In cellphone footage captured the night of August 25, Rittenhouse can be seen armed with an AR-15 style rifle as an altercation ensued between Rittenhouse and Black Lives Matter demonstrators. In the cellphone footage, there are indications that the injured individual Grosskreutz was also armed with a handgun. Lawyers for Rittenhouse are arguing that Rittenhouse's actions that night were warranted as they were done in self-defense.
Conservative Groups Rally around Rittenhouse
One of Rittenhouse's attorneys had initially asked for bail to be set at $750,000, but the court set the amount at which prosecutors initially asked for. Loren Keating, the Court Commissioner, expressed that because of the incredibly serious charges, Rittenhouse was deemed a flight risk. Rittenhouse's attorneys maintain that he is not despite opposition from the prosecution and the victims' family members.
Following the shooting and the national outrage on behalf of the victims, many conservatives came out in support of Rittenhouse. Various conservatives donated to a nonprofit fund for Rittenhouse's cause. A significant amount of the donations came from actor Ricky Schroder.
According to Rittenhouse's lawyer, Linn Wood, Schroeder donated $150,000 to Rittenhouse's bail. The CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, also donated to the cause with a reported $50,000. Over the weekend, Rittenhouse can be seen posing for a photo with Wood and Schroeder.
Understandably, the families of the shooting victims are outraged by the release of Rittenhouse. John Huber, the father of victim Anthony Huber, attended Rittenhouse's hearing on November 2nd and pleaded for a $10 million bail.
Huber described his son as a hero for trying to stop Rittenhouse during the night of the shooting. Huber also shed light on the financial support provided by the public, along with his fear that militia groups would help Rittenhouse hide out after being released.
Lawyers on the prosecution side, including Grosskreutz's lawyer, Kimberley Motley, have expressed their disappointment at the low bail amount. Motley expressed that bail should have been set at the recommended $4 million minimum during an online court hearing. Motley explained, "Two people died. My client nearly died and nearly lost his arm due to Rittenhouse's reckless behavior. I do believe that Rittenhouse is a danger to the public."
Meanwhile, many conservative groups are rallying around the teen, and chants of "Free Rittenhouse" have sparked up during conservative protests against the 2020 presidential election results. Many conservatives are partly in support of the teen because of their disapproval of the violent social justice protests and riots that took over major cities across the nation during the summer months.
Many conservatives are also in defense of the teen because they view him as exercising his legal right to bear arms during a time of unrest. Lawyers representing Rittenhouse are the same lawyers on Donald Trump's legal team seeking to overturn President-elect Biden's election win.
While out on bail, it's unclear whether Rittenhouse will stay in Wisconsin or go back to his original home state of Illinois. Before his arrest, Rittenhouse lived in Antioch, Illinois, with his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse. But because of the national attention Rittenhouse's actions garnered, she no longer lives in the same residence and has moved to an undisclosed location due to threats from the public.
Rittenhouse is due back in court on December 3rd for a preliminary hearing. His charges include intentional homicide, possession of a firearm as a minor, and reckless endangerment.
