How Kyle Rittenhouse ended up in Kenosha armed with an AR-15

Violence erupted in Kenosha following the Aug. 23, 2020 police shooting of a Black man named Jacob Blake.

Blake was paralyzed from the waist down, and the shooting added to the already powder-keg situation of protests and riots in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day that year. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had called in the National Guard to help quell the violence in the city, and some private citizens took to the streets to help patrol.

Black testified that he, his brother and Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha the morning of Aug. 25, 2020 to see the aftermath of the riots during two nights prior. They then left, and returned to the city at around 5 p.m., after one of Black’s friends said they should help protect a local business, Car Source.

Hours before the shooting Rittenhouse was also seen cleaning graffiti off a high school near the Kenosha County Courthouse along with a few other volunteers.

Rittenhouse and Black met with other armed individuals in Kenosha on the night of the shootings. Rittenhouse testified that he headed there to help patrol the streets, protect businesses and provide first aid, which he came prepared for with a medical bag.

Two members of the family that owns Car Source, however, denied setting up plans for Rittenhouse or anyone else to protect the business. Prosecutor Thomas Binger also showed screenshots of text messages Rittenhouse sent Anmol Khindri, a member of the family that owns Car Source.

“Hey Sam it’s Kyle do you need anyone to protect your business tonight im more then willing and will be armed i just need address,” one text read.

“Me and my brother would both be thwre armed,” a second message read. The screenshot did not include a response from Khindri, who said he did not see the messages until Aug. 26.

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