Prosecutor in Kyle Rittenhouse trial says crowd protesting in Kenosha was ‘full of heroes’

Closing arguments in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial took place on Monday, which set the jury up to begin deliberations the following day.

The prosecutor included in some of his final remarks that the crowd protesting that night was “full of heroes” who sought to stop Rittenhouse following the shooting.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger wrapped up the case against Rittenhouse by characterizing him as a 17-year-old out past curfew who had no intention of protecting property or helping others on the night of the shooting.

Binger called him and others armed with AR-15-style rifles “wannabe soldiers acting tough,” and he said Rittenhouse had no remorse and little concern for the three men he shot, two of whom were killed. “We shouldn’t have 17-year-olds running around our streets with AR-15s because this is exactly what happens,” Binger remarked. 

Rittenhouse, now 18-years old, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of Anthony Huber, first-degree reckless homicide in the killing of Joseph Rosenbaum, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz.

According to Rittenhouse’s defense, he was in Kenosha that evening to protect others’ personal property from the rioters and looters filling the streets following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

After Rosenbaum was shot, a crowd of protesters chased after Rittenhouse to stop what they thought to be an active shooter, as the prosecution framed the story. Rittenhouse ran away, but stumbled and fell in the street. Four more shots were fired, one of which hit Huber, who struck him with his skateboard and made a play for the gun, and another which hit Grosskreutz, a volunteer medic at the protests who ran up on Rittenhouse with a pistol. Binger said the crowd was “full of heroes” who had every right to use force to stop Rittenhouse.

But the defense disagreed with that narrative. Mark Richards, Rittenhouse’s attorney, stated: “Kyle was not an active shooter. That is a buzzword that the state wants to latch on to because it excuses the actions of that mob,” he said. “He reacted to people attacking him.” Because Rittenhouse has claimed self-defense in this case, the question jurors will be deliberating is whether his decision to use deadly force was reasonable.