The prosecution stated in their opening comments that evidence will prove Rittenhouse pursued down and fatally shot Rosenbaum, 36, and then shot at three other people who attempted to confront an active shooter. Mark Richards, Rittenhouse’s attorney, claimed that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, describing Rosenbaum as the aggressor and the others as a “mob.”
The violence in Kenosha, a population of roughly 100,000 people, occurred during a volatile summer of protests and upheaval in which large crowds protested how American cops treated African-Americans. When a Kenosha police officer fatally shot Blake on August 23, 2020, the resulting public outrage resulted in acts of violence and devastation, prompting some residents to arm themselves and take the community’s protection into their own hands.
According to prosecutors, Rittenhouse fired an AR-15-style weapon eight times during the unrest, including four shots at Rosenbaum, who was unarmed; two shots at an unarmed unknown individual who kicked Rittenhouse; one fatal shot at Anthony Huber, who struck Rittenhouse with a skateboard; and one shot at Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a gun.
Kyle Rittenhouse, left, wears a backwards cap as he travels down Sheridan Road in Kenosha with another armed civilian on August 25, 2020.
Prosecutors revealed nearly a dozen recordings on Wednesday and Thursday that depicted what transpired before, during, and after Rittenhouse killed two men and injured another in Kenosha.
New FBI infrared aerial surveillance film, in particular, provides a unique perspective on the final minutes before the kid fatally shot Rosenbaum. The blurry infrared footage, filmed from 8,500 feet above the ground and overheard, shows Rittenhouse rushing down a sidewalk and passing Rosenbaum, who is standing near to a collection of parked cars.
