On Wednesday authorities said 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse had been charged with homicide after two people were killed and another seriously wounded in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as protests over police brutality and the shooting of Jacob Blake continue around the country.
Rittenhouse is a resident of Antioch, Ill., about 20 miles southwest of Kenosha. It was the Antioch police who arrested the teen.
The 17-year-old was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in Kenosha County.
By Wisconsin law, Rittenhouse would be charged as an adult.
His social media feeds contained messages supporting the police and photos of himself with assault rifles. He had been a member of the cadet programs for local police and fire departments.
The shooting happened as self-declared militia members and armed counterprotests have appeared in the city. The police have not said if Rittenhouse is a member of any of the groups.
Since officers shot Blake from behind at close range as he was getting in a vehicle while his three children watched from the car, violent protests have torn through Kenosha. Buildings have burned, and windows smashed, while stores were looted.
