Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin on Friday has ordered 500 National Guard to be on standby as the much publicized homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse comes to and end. On Monday, the court is expected to see closing argument of the case.
Rittenhouse is the 18yr old who fatally shot 2 men and wounded another during protests in Kenosha, following the shooting of Jacob Blake by police officers last year.
He has been since then charged with intentional homicide, reckless homicide, attempted intentional homicide, and other charges in the August 25, 2020, shooting.
“The Wisconsin National Guard will stage outside Kenosha, available should they be requested by law enforcement,” Governor Tony Evers said.
“I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully,” The governor said in a statement.
At the time of the shooting, Kyle Rittenhouse was 17. He traveled to Kenosha armed with a semi-automatic rifle. He claimed he was there to protect businesses following unrest in the city.
He has testified in court that he fired in self-defense after he was attacked.
Those he killed are Anthony Huber, who was 26 years old at the time, and Joseph Rosenbaum, who was 36. While Greg Grosskreutz, 27, was injured.
If convicted, Rittenhouse is looking at life in imprisonment on the first-degree, intentional homicide charge, and up to 60 years on each of the other homicide-related charges. He has also been charged with 2 reckless endangerment counts, which carry up to 12 years imprisonment each, and a misdemeanor weapons charge that carries a potential nine-month sentence.
