Kenosha, Wisconsin Shooter Kyle Rittenhouse Won’t Face Gun Charges In Illinois

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old gunman who went into Kenosha, Wisconsin, and shot three men, two of whom ended up dying, will not face gun charges in his home state of Illinois, according to NPR.

The 17-year-old gunman has been charged with killing two men with an AR-15 rifle in Wisconsin during the protests over the police shooting of an unarmed Black man in front of his children, Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse faces six criminal counts in Wisconsin, including first-degree intentional homicide.

A written statement was released by Lake County, Illinois, State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim’s office regarding the weapon used.

“An extensive investigation was conducted by the Antioch Police Department regarding the gun used in a shooting in Kenosha on Aug. 28. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has reviewed that investigation to determine if any crimes were committed in Lake County, Illinois.

“To that end, the investigation revealed the gun used in the Kenosha shooting was purchased, stored, and used in Wisconsin. Additionally, there is no evidence the gun was ever physically possessed by Kyle Rittenhouse in Illinois.

“I want to thank the Antioch Police Department for their diligence in investigating this matter,” Nerheim said.

“The Antioch Police Department and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will not be releasing any additional details regarding this investigation as to not disrupt any investigation that may be taking place in Wisconsin.”

In a Twitter post sent after the shooting in August, an attorney for the teenager, Lin Wood, had stated:

When you start manufacturing facts to support false accusations, you get into trouble under the law of defamation. Kyle did not carry a gun across state lines. The gun belonged to his friend, a Wisconsin resident. The gun never left the State of Wisconsin.

Truth always prevails. https://t.co/iDbsykaVvY

— Lin Wood (@LLinWood) August 28, 2020

Rittenhouse remains in a juvenile detention center in Lake County without bond due to the pending criminal charges in Kenosha. Rittenhouse is due back in Lake County court on Oct. 30 for an extradition hearing.