Wisconsin man shot by Kyle Rittenhouse pointed a gun at him

A teenager who turned up at social justice protests in Wisconsin last year saying he wanted to protect property shot a protester after the man pointed a gun at him, a court has heard.

Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, killed two men and injured a third in a clash on the streets of Kenosha on 25 August 2020.

Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, acknowledged in court he was advancing with gun drawn on Rittenhouse when he opened fire.

Kenosha had erupted in rioting after police shot a black man.

Lawyers for Mr Rittenhouse argue he was legally acting in self-defence. He denies six counts, including reckless homicide, intentional homicide and recklessly endangering safety.

Mr Grosskreutz was at the protest volunteering as a medic and said in court that he was affiliated with a social justice group called the People’s Revolution Movement, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

He said he mistook Mr Rittenhouse, then 17, for an “active shooter” and that he was shot after approaching him with his gun out.

Under tense cross-examination on Monday, the defendant’s lawyer, Corey Chirafisi, asked the witness: “When you were standing three to five feet from him with your arms up in the air, he never fired, right?”

“Correct,” Mr Grosskreutz said.

“It wasn’t until you pointed your gun at him, advanced on him, with your gun, now your hands down pointed at him, that he fired, right?” Mr Chirafisi continued.

“Correct,” Mr Grosskreutz said.

Mr Chirafisi cited a lawsuit filed by Mr Grosskreutz against the city of Kenosha, asking him: “If Mr Rittenhouse is convicted, your chance of getting 10 million bucks is better, right?”

Mr Grosskreutz was shot in the right bicep, causing severe damage to his arm. Pictures of his wound were shown to the jury, causing some to look away in discomfort, according to court reporters.

Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, Mr Rittenhouse had just fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, who had swung a skateboard at him. Mr Rittenhouse and the men he shot are all white.

Mr Grosskreutz was the 16th witness to testify for the prosecution. Mr Rittenhouse’s defence team are expected to call their own witnesses after the prosecution closes on Tuesday.

The rioting broke out in Kenosha after police shot a black man, Jacob Blake, seven times in the back on 23 August 2020. A woman had called police to say Mr Blake was at her home in violation of a restraining order. Mr Blake, who was armed with a knife, was getting into a car where his three children were seated when police opened fire. He survived.

Bystander video captures Mr Rittenhouse being chased into the car park of a used-car dealership by Joseph Rosenbaum, 36.

Moments later, unseen on video, Mr Rittenhouse fires four times and kills Mr Rosenbaum.

As he runs down the street away from the scene, Mr Rittenhouse falls and multiple people converge upon him.

Mr Huber hits Mr Rittenhouse in the head and neck with a skateboard. Mr Rittenhouse kills him with a bullet to the stomach.

Mr Grosskreutz approaches him with a pistol in hand. Mr Rittenhouse wounds him with a shot in the arm.

If convicted of the most serious charges, he could spend decades in prison.