
Kyle Rittenhouse, the armed Illinois teenager who killed two people and wounded another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer, is on trial.
Rittenhouse is charged with five felonies, a misdemeanor charge and a non-criminal violation. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Rittenhouse's actions constituted criminal homicide, but his attorneys say he shot the men in self-defense. Wisconsin law requires when a self-defense claim is raised, prosecutors must disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt – a difficult obstacle for the state.
Attorneys questioned several witnesses, including experts on guns, the detective who made the arrest, and the only person to survive being shot by Rittenhouse.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the courtroom today:
Gaige Grosskreutz:
- He is the only one of the three men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse during a night of protests in Kenosha last year who survived.
- According to the criminal complaint, Rittenhouse shot and injured Grosskreutz, who approached him shortly after Anthony Huber was shot. The complaint said Grosskreutz put his hands in the air and then began to move toward Rittenhouse, who then fired one shot, hitting Grosskreutz in the arm.
- Photos and videos presented in court show that Grosskreutz had a gun in his hand as he was standing a few feet from Rittenhouse. During that line of questioning, Grosskreutz agreed with the defense that his firearm was pointed at Rittenhouse. Later during redirect questioning by the prosecution, he said he never intentionally pointed his gun at Rittenhouse during the shooting.
- When questioned by the defense attorney Grosskreutz agreed that "It wasn't until you pointed your gun at [Rittenhouse]...that he fired."
Jason Krueger:
- The Kenosha police officer testified that he and his partner were responding to another call for a fire in the area of the protests when they heard gunshots.
- Krueger said Kyle Rittenhouse approached his squad car carrying an AR-15 rifle with his hands in the air. Krueger testified that he commanded Rittenhouse to "keep away" and "stay back" from the car, but he kept walking toward the police. Krueger deployed his pepper spray.
- He testified that when Rittenhouse was approaching the car he said "something about a shooting" but gave "no verbal indication" that he was the person who shot his gun.
What's next: The trial is expected to last just over two weeks and will be televised, Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder said in court.
Once the prosecution rests their case, the defense will have their turn to call witnesses.