A Christian crowdfunding site has raised more than $520,000 to help cover legal fees for Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse.
The GiveSendGo site, created shortly after Rittenhouse shot three Black Lives Matter protesters in the Wisconsin city on Aug. 25, killing two, is sponsored by a group called “Friends of the Rittenhouse family,” which is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The group set an initial goal of $500,00 but had surpassed that by Monday, with nearly $523,000 in contributions.
“Now, Kyle is being unfairly charged with murder 1, by a DA who seems determined to capitalize on the political angle of the situation,” the page reads. “The situation was clearly self-defense, and Kyle and his family will undoubtedly need money to pay for the legal fees.”
“Let’s give back to someone who bravely tried to defend his community.”
Rittenhouse, 17, was arrested at his home in Antioch, Illinois, the day after the Kenosha shooting.
The teen was with a group of armed militia members who said they sought to protect Kenosha businesses from looters amid Black Lives Matter protests in the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man shot by white cops.
Video footage from the scene shows protesters approach Rittenhouse, including Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, who is seen hurling a bag at the teen.
Rittenhouse opened fire and shot Rosenbaum dead.
He is seen fleeing, holding an AR-15-style rifle, as other protesters try to chase him down.
At one point, the teen stumbles and one of the demonstrators, later identified as 26-year-old Anthony Huber, attempts to hit him with a skateboard. Rittenhouse shoots and kills him.
A second man, Gaige Grosskreuts, then walks up to Rittenhouse with a handgun in his hand, and is shot in the arm.
The teen then gets up and walks toward several police vehicles with his hands up — but the vehicles move past him and he went home to Illinois, where he was arrested.
Rittenhouse is being held on murder charges and is fighting extradition to Wisconsin, where he would stand trial.