Seventeen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse wounded one and killed two people in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25.
The incident was caught on camera, garnering unprecedented attention from members of the press and the American public at large.
Charged with multiple counts of homicide and unlawful possession of a firearm, Rittenhouse claims he acted in self defense when he shot the rioters.
Rittenhouse’s trial began earlier this month, and will most likely end next week. The authorities, meanwhile, appear to be bracing for riots.
Read more below.
Wisconsin Activates National Guard
As The New York Post reported, around 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops have been activated in anticipation of unrest.
As Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers explained, the troops will be on standby outside Kenosha and respond "if requested by local law enforcement" in the event of riots or unrest.
Evers added that the troops will be operating "in conjunction with hundreds of officers from volunteering law enforcement agencies."
"We continue to be in close contact with our partners at the local level to ensure the state provides support and resources to help keep the Kenosha community and greater area safe," he said.
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Evers also said that people from other parts of America should cancel any plans to travel to Kenosha, describing the local community as "strong" and "resilient."
"The Kenosha community has been strong, resilient, and has come together through incredibly difficult times these past two years, and that healing is still ongoing," Evers stated.
‘I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully," he added.
Mobilizing National Guard
Evers previously mobilized the National Guard in January this year following the Kenosha County District Attorney’s announcement that he will not charge Rusten Sheskey, the officer who shot Jacob Blake.
Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot in the back seven times, per CNN. Blake survived, but was left paralyzed from the waist down.
The Blake shooting polarized the nation, with some accusing Sheskey of white supremacy and police brutality, and others claiming that the officer was just doing his job and well within his rights to shoot Blake.
Rittenhouse Trial
Rittenhouse’s trial has also polarized the public, with liberals demanding Rittenhouse be sentenced and conservatives claiming he acted in self defense.
As The Inquisitr reported, NBA star LeBron James recently made waves when he suggested that Rittenhouse faked crying at his trial to garner sympathy.
"What tears????? I didn’t see one. Man knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court," James tweeted.
Conservative politicians, media figures, pundits, and activists were quick to condemn the Los Angeles Lakers’ small forward, with some accusing him of bullying a teenager.
]]>The Inquisitr
