(JustPatriot.com)- Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who defended himself with a gun during a far-left protest in Kenosha in August, will not face gun charges in his home state of Illinois.
The news was revealed on Tuesday by state prosecutors, meaning that he will only be charged in Kenosha.
Rittenhouse faces a gun charge in Wisconsin after shooting two men and wounding another in the Wisconsin city with a Smith & Wesson .223 caliber rifle. The teenager lives in Antioch, Illinois, and travelled to the event in nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin.
An attorney representing Rittenhouse told the press how the gun belonged to an unidentified friend of Rittenhouse, and that videos show how he was “among numerous civilians armed with rifles who interjected themselves into the protests, property destruction and looting that followed [Jacob] Blake’s shooting.”
Video footage showed how during the left-wing riot, where Rittenhouse was helping defend local businesses from looters, left-wing activists chased him until he fell on the ground. When left-wing activists ran at Rittenhouse as if to attack him, the teenager can be seen discharging his weapon. Another would-be attacker backed away from Rittenhouse with his hands up, and Rittenhouse did not shoot.
Immediately after shooting the would-be attackers, Rittenhouse was seen on video walking up to police vehicles with his hands up, turning himself in to the authorities.
Kenosha County prosecutors have charged Rittenhouse with murder, but his attorneys recently argued that sending him to an adult jail in Kenosha would put him in danger. He is currently in a juvenile detention center in Lake County where he is being held without bond.
Rittenhouse sent a message to people supporting him in September, thanking everyone for their “amazing” support.
“I want to thank all of you for the mail I’ve been receiving, it’s been really helpful,” he said. “I just wanna let you all know that I’m gonna be out of here soon. Just stay strong, and I hope to see you guys soon.”
Rittenhouse’s attorney, Pierce Bainbridge, said that Rittenhouse not only helped defend business from rioters during the September protests but also had helped clean up graffiti caused by the rioters after finishing work as a lifeguard in Kenosha.
Bainbridge said that Rittenhouse received a phone call from a car dealership in Kenosha who needed protection from rioters, which is when he and a friend decided to arm themselves and head to the city.
