JUST IN: 17-Year-Old Charged in Connection With Shooting Death in Kenosha

A 17-year-old Illinois resident has been charged in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested Wednesday in Antioch, IL, on a charge of first degree intentional homicide. Officials in Kenosha said they will hold an afternoon press conference on the matter.

An alleged eyewitness, Brendan Gutenschwager, said he saw the shooter speak with police shortly after the incident before he left the scene.

“The shooter basically just got up and proceeded to walk toward the line of police that were there in the bearcat and a couple vehicles, and he basically just walked right up to them with the gun still out in front of him, and spoke with them for a few seconds,” Gutenschwager said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I couldn’t make out what he said. I know that after a few seconds, the cops were not happy with him standing that close. He was literally right outside of the cop car doors, which, prior to that, for the past two hours leading up to that, anybody that got that close was getting fired at with tear gas, pepper bullets, or something like that.

“And he just basically talked to them,” Gutenschwager added. “They told him to step away from the vehicle, and he continued walking, and took off, basically. And then about two minutes later more police arrived, actually like a crime scene and doing an investigation.”

Footage of the scene showed a man being shot Tuesday night as Kenosha rioters entered the parking lot of a car dealership. An interview with the alleged shooter prior to the incident showed him telling a reporter that he was on the scene “protect this business,” adding, “part of my job is to also help people — if somebody’s hurt, I’m running into harm’s way.”

Gutenschwager said he saw “probably about a dozen” citizens carrying rifles and other firearms in the streets before the incident.

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!