
Kyle Rittenhouse waits with attorney Mark Richards for his arraignment to begin. Rittenhouse entered a not-guilty plea.
Kyle Rittenhouse formally entered a not-guilty plea Tuesday.
Rittenhouse, who turned 18 this week, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting three people, killing two, during unrest following the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha Police officer.
His plea — expected, as his attorneys have been arguing Rittenhouse shot the men in self defense — came as Kenosha prepared for the announcement Tuesday by Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley not to file charges against Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey in the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse appeared remotely from his attorney Mark Richards’ office in Racine for the hearing, held over Zoom because of the pandemic. The hearing — arraignments are usually brief, allowing a defendant to enter a plea — lasted only minutes.
At the hearing, the attorneys were given a trial date of March 29 in Kenosha County Circuit Court. However, that date is largely set as a placeholder by the court. Defense attorney Richards said the idea that the case would go to trial “in five weeks is basically ridiculous.”

Workers install protective fencing around the east side of the Kenosha County Court House on Monday morning in anticipation of a ruling by District Attorney Michael Graveley on whether to charge Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey in the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake.
Attorneys are likely to give a better indication of when the case would be ready for trial when they appear before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder for a pretrial hearing March 10. Until now, Rittenhouse has had his court appearances before a court commissioner. Schroeder, the longest-serving judge in Wisconsin, will oversee the trial.
Rittenhouse is charged with killing Anthony Huber of Silver Lake and Joseph Rosenbaum of Kenosha, and of wounding Gaige Grosskreutz of West Allis.
The Antioch, Ill., teenager has become a celebrity among some on the right, with supporters donating enough money to post his $2 million bond. Rittenhouse’s civil attorney John Pierce and his family are continuing to try to raise money for his defense, soliciting donations and — briefly — opening an online store selling branded merchandise. Those merchandise sales were shut down after a vendor pulled out. The family has said it is working on reopening the site.
Others see the shootings as an example of the danger of the rise of right-wing militia groups. On the day of the shooting, there was a social media call for “militia” members to come to the city, and many armed counter-protesters were on the street.

Protesters display their support for Jacob Blake during a gathering on Monday, Aug. 24, in Civic Center Park in Kenosha.
A fateful night
Rittenhouse, who was not legally allowed to carry his AR-15-style rifle, purchased the gun through a friend acting as a straw buyer, according to statements to police. That friend’s stepfather refused to allow the teen, then 17, to take possession of the gun, the stepfather telling police he kept the gun at his home in Kenosha.
On Aug. 25, according to court documents and statements to police, Rittenhouse told his mother he was going to work. Instead, he came to Downtown Kenosha, where protests had turned to rioting in the two days following the Blake shooting, and picked up the AR-15 from his friend’s stepfather’s home.
Rittenhouse told police he and his friend were hired to protect a used car dealership Downtown, although the owner of the dealership has said in past interviews that he did not hire anyone.
At some point, Rittenhouse clashed with Rosenbaum and shot him. As others chased Rittenhouse down Sheridan Road following that shooting, Rittenhouse shot Huber, who struck him with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz, who had also been attempting to stop Rittenhouse.
In addition to the homicide charges, Rittenhouse is charged with recklessly endangering safety, with possession of a weapon by a minor, and with a curfew violation.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING

A dump truck burns in front of the courthouse.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING

A man helps another after tear gas was deployed by the police on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING

A group finds refuge from tear gas in a doorway of the court house on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING

A man turns his head as a garbage truck goes up in flames.
UPTOWN AFTER RIOT

Rescue workers continue to control fires while business owners go through the damage done to their storefronts on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
UPTOWN AFTER RIOT

Rescue workers continue to control fires while business owners go through the damage done to their storefronts on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
UPTOWN AFTER RIOT

Rescue workers continue to control fires while business owners go through the damage done to their storefronts in Uptown on Aug. 24 and 15.
DOWNTOWN BRACING

A message put on a boarded-up business Tuesday says children live in this building.
Burned vehicles

People walk through downtown areas damaged by rioting in late August.
DOWNTOWN BRACING

Members and friends of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church work to board up the hall and church on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Civil unrest in Kenosha Tuesday

Demonstrators sit on Sheridan Road in front of a line of law enforcement after being forced to leave Civic Center Park late on Aug. 25.
Civil unrest in Kenosha Tuesday

Demonstrators crowd around an armored vehicle at Civic Center Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING - TUESDAY

Protesters gather in front of the courthouse on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING - TUESDAY

Demonstrators participate in a non-violent protest at the courthouse on Tuesday.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING - TUESDAY

A demonstrator stands in front of an armored vehicle at Civic Center Park on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING - TUESDAY

A man attempts to put out a car fire with buckets of water on 63rd Street on Aug. 25.
CIVIL UNREST AFTER OFFICER SHOOTING - TUESDAY

A woman has her head bandaged by Sam Sansudsavat at a medic station after being hit in the head with a rubber bullet in Kenosha on Aug. 25.
KENOSHA PROTEST - WEDNESDAY

A protestor paints the word “love” on the sidewalk at Civic Center Park during a protest on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020.
KENOSHA PROTEST - WEDNESDAY

Porche Bennett asks protestors to respect the curfew at Civic Center Park on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020.
JESSE JACKSON SPEAKS IN KENOSHA

The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks during a press conference on Thursday at the scene were a man was killed amidst the protests.
DAMAGE AERIAL

DAMANGE AERIAL

Damage done by fire in Uptown.
MARCH FOR BLAKE

Family, friends and supporters hold up a fist during a march and demonstration for Jacob Blake on Aug. 29. Local nonprofit organizations and churches are banding together Wednesday for a day of healing and support of the Blake family, which is being held amid a scheduled appearance by evangelical activist Sean Feucht.
MARCH FOR BLAKE

Left: A group holding Pan-African flags walk to the courthouse during a march and demonstration for Jacob Blake on Saturday.
PRESIDENT TRUMP VISIT

Various groups with differing messages wait on 60th Street and Sheridan Road for the President's motorcade to pass on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.
B&L FURNITURE

B&L Office Furniture, on 60th St., is in ruins after last weeks riots.
B&L FURNITURE

B&L Office Furniture, on 60th St., is in ruins after last weeks riots.
BIDEN IN KENSOHA

Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, center, participates in a protest before a community meeting with Joe Biden at Grace Lutheran Church on Thursday.
BIDEN IN KENSOHA

Women dance in front of at Grace Lutheran Church where Joe Biden visited on Thursday.
DIVER DAN'S MURALS

From left, Bryson Eppinger, Ariana Ervin and her sister Aniyah paint murals on Diver Dan’s as part of a project hosted by the African American Youth Initiative and Kenosha Creative Space.
County Board Meeting

Citizens, including an Uptown resident, left, and a man protesting police brutality, both who attended the Kenosha County Board meeting on Tuesday at the Job Center, argue after the meeting was adjourned.
County Board Meeting

Supervisor Terry Rose speaks during a County Board meeting at the Job Center on Tuesday.
FENCE DOWN

A crew takes down the fence on Thursday that was used to distance protests from public buildings.
FENCE DOWN

A crew takes down the fence on Thursday that was used to distance protests from public buildings.
Sean Feucht performance

Sean Feucht, an evangelical activist and musician, performs in downtown Kenosha Wednesday
Let Us Worship Tour

A woman raises her hands while worshiping during the "Let Us Worship Tour" event at Civic Center Park on Wednesday.
BLAKE COMMUNITY EVENT

Justin Blake, left, gives Patricia Siragusa a hug as she cries during a community event hosted by Justice for Blake at 1345 52nd St. on Wednesday.
BLAKE COMMUNITY EVENT

Patricia Siragusa picks out a tomato with Justin Blake after she made a donation during a community event hosted by Justice for Blake at 1345 52nd St. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.
KENOSHA STRONG

Kenosha Strong messages can be found downtown, uptown and throughout the city.