The defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager who is accused of fatally shooting two people and injuring a third at a protest sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake last August, has raised nearly half a million dollars as Rittenhouse gears up for his trial in November.
Rittenhouse’s defense fund said it has raised $464,111 since March 1, according to a post on its Twitter account.
The money was raised through FreeKyleUSA, which says it is organized by his mother Wendy Rittenhouse to raise money for his defense, and The Milo Fund LLC. The LLC is the “business/transactional entity formed to receive donations and pay legal expenses,” according to a tweet by @freekyleusa.
The defense fund has processed $362,050 in “case-related expenses,” including attorney fees, investigators, legal consultants, subject matter experts and security.
“#KyleRittenhouse and Wendy want to thank everyone for your support and assistance for the past ten months,” the defense fund wrote in a separate tweet.
“We’ve been fighting hard every day to correct the misinformation surrounding Kyle and preparing for the upcoming trial. Your assistance has been critical,” it added.
The fund also said Rittenhouse’s family is “doing well,” adding that they are “safe, secure, and anxious for the trial to begin so the world can learn the truth about who #KyleRittenhouse really is.”
Rittenhouse, 18, is awaiting trial on charges of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted intentional homicide, after he allegedly shot dead two protesters and injured another during a protest in Kenosha, Wis., last year.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and has contended that he was acting in self-defense. Rittenhouse’s attorneys have argued that his actions were protected by the Second Amendment.
Rittenhouse’s case has become a rallying cry for pro-gun conservatives across the country who believe the teenager was acting in self-defense, according to Forbes.
Pro-gun organizations and conservative pundits reportedly helped accumulate $2 million needed to bail Rittenhouse out in November, Forbes reported. The entities have continued funding different fundraising efforts connected to Rittenhouse.
The teenager’s trial was originally scheduled to begin on March 29, but has since been delayed to Nov. 1.
The trial was moved back after the prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case both said they wouldn’t be prepared for the originally scheduled start date.