In August 2020, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, civil unrest and destruction engulfed the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Amidst the chaos of arson and protests, a 17-year-old named Kyle Rittenhouse arrived armed with an AR-15 style rifle, claiming he was there to protect local businesses and provide medical aid. By the end of the night, he had shot three men—fatally wounding Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and severely injuring Gaige Grosskreutz.
Was Rittenhouse a reckless vigilante who provoked a deadly confrontation, or a teenager forced to make split-second, life-or-death decisions in self-defense? Let’s unpack it.
