Friend testifies Rittenhouse was ‘freaking out’ after shooting

A friend of Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, testified that the teenager was “freaking out” after the shooting. 

Dominick Black said in court Tuesday that then-17-year-old Rittenhouse was pale and “really scared” after he fired shots at an Aug. 2020 protest that followed the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Black added that Rittenhouse said he had to shoot them because “people were trying to hurt him,” according to The Associated Press. 

Both 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year-old Anthony Huber died after being shot by Rittenhouse. Gaige Grosskreutz, who was 27 years old, survived with injuries. 

“I didn’t believe the gunshots were actually his until I got a phone call, and I answered it, and he just said, ‘I shot somebody, I shot somebody,’” Black said of the call he received from Rittenhouse seconds after the first shooting of Rosenbaum, per the AP.

At the time of the shooting, Black was dating Rittenhouse’s sister, according to the wire service. Black is set to face charges himself for purchasing the AR-15-style rifle used by Rittenhouse, who at 17 years old was too young to legally buy or own the weapon.

Black said that he and Rittenhouse had gone to downtown Kenosha on the night of the shooting with the intention of protecting a car dealership where cars had been burned the night before, the AP reported. He added that Rittenhouse had  doused flames and provided medical aid at the scene.

Black also testified that he had thought the rifle would prevent anyone from confronting him and Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse, now 18 years old, faces six counts, including two homicide charges, one attempted homicide charge and two charges of recklessly endangering safety. He also faces a charge for possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18. If convicted, he could face life in prison.