Kyle Rittenhouse, a 19-year-old who was the center of a highly publicized trial after killing two people and injuring another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has filed a request to get the gun he used in the shootings back so he can destroy it.
The request was filed on Wednesday by Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, in the Kenosha County Circuit Court. He also requested other items belonging to Rittenhouse that were confiscated by police at the time of his arrest, including a high-capacity magazine, iPhone, bullets and clothing.
Richards discussed Rittenhouse’s intention for the gun in the report. “Mr. Rittenhouse further wishes to ensure that the firearm in question is properly destroyed,” he wrote.
The gun was a semi-automatic, AR-15 style gun, and according to testimony from Dominick Black, an ex-boyfriend of Rittenhouse’s sister, he purchased the gun for Kyle because he was too young at the time to buy one. Richards argues in the request that Rittenhouse is legally entitled to the gun because of the “verbal contract” between himself and Black.
Rittenhouse, then 17, traveled to Kenosha from his hometown of Antioch Illinois along with Dominick Black after a couple of days of protests had broken out there following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Black and Rittenhouse were joining groups of armed men that were flocking to Kenosha in a bid to protect businesses.
Rittenhouse claimed he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber. Rosenbaum was seen chasing Rittenhouse into a parking lot but was unarmed. After shooting Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse was pursued by more people in the crowd and shot his gun as he fell to the ground, killing Huber and injuring medic Gaige Grosskreutz.
He was arrested the next day but was ultimately acquitted of all the felony charges put against him. The reception of the trial was highly split among political lines. Conservatives overwhelmingly supported his acquittal and drew particular attention to his stated desire to protect businesses, and liberals viewed him as a violent vigilante that should have been convicted.
