Crime & Safety

Key Figures In The Kyle Rittenhouse Trial: Who They Are

Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, is accused of shooting and killing two people and wounding a third during protests over a police shooting in Kenosha.

Scott Anderson's profile picture
Scott Anderson, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
In this Aug. 25, 2020, file photo, Kyle Rittenhouse carries a weapon as he walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha, Wis., during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake.
In this Aug. 25, 2020, file photo, Kyle Rittenhouse carries a weapon as he walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha, Wis., during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake. (Adam Rogan/The Journal Times via Associated Press, File)

KENOSHA, WI — All eyes are on the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old accused of shooting and killing two people and wounding a third during widespread protests in Kenosha in August 2020.

Supporters say he is a patriot who was exercising his Second Amendment rights in self-defense.

Prosecutors see him as a vigilante who, at 17-years-old, should have stayed home.

Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Here are the key figures in the Rittenhouse trial:

The Judge

Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce E. Schroeder listens during the pretrial hearing of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha Circuit Court Oct. 25 in Kenosha, Wis. Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two of them, during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha in Aug. 2020. (Mark Hertzberg/Pool Photo via AP)

Kenosha County Circuit judge Bruce Schroeder will preside over the case.

According to an Associated Press report, Schroeder is a "stern" judge who hands down "tough" sentences. The case is expected to last between two and three weeks, according to an Associated Press report.

The Defendant

Kyle Rittenhouse walks into court for the start of jury selection on the first day of his trial in Kenosha, Wis., Circuit Court, Monday Nov. 1. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. (Mark Hertzberg/Pool Photo via AP)

Rittenhouse, now 18, is accused of fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, Anthony Huber, 26 and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27 during a night of widespread protests.

Rittenhouse was 17 when those protests took place. Prosecutors say he carried his AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle into Kenosha, Wisconsin over the Illinois border when the shootings happened.

From left, Kyle Rittenhouse's mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, left, listens as the charges against Kyle are read at the start of jury selection in Kenosha, Wis., Circuit Court, Monday. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. (Mark Hertzberg/Pool Photo via AP)

Rittenhouse now faces two homicide charges, an attempted homicide charge and possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.

The Defense

Defense Attorney Mark Richards appears in court during a pretrial hearing for Kyle Rittenhouse at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Monday. A Wisconsin judge laid out the final ground rules Monday on what evidence will be allowed when Rittenhouse goes on trial next week for shooting three people during a protest against police brutality in August 2020. (Mark Hertzberg/Pool Photo via AP)

Racine Attorney Mark Richards is leading the defense of Rittenhouse. The Associated Press calls him a "courtroom veteran" who has worked on more than 100 jury trials.

The Prosecution

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, center, makes his way into the courtroom for jury selection for the Kyle Rittenhouse trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis, on Monday. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool)

Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger is leading the prosecution of Rittenhouse.

Binger joined the Kenosha County District Attorney's office in 2014 after serving nearly a decade in private practice. He ran for District Attorney in Racine in 2016, ultimately losing to a Republican candidate.

Kenosha defense attorney Michael Cicchini told the AP that he worked against Binger on several cases, calling him “skilled” and “a hard worker.”

The Victims

Joseph Roenbaum was 36 when he was shot and killed in Kenosha. Amateur video caught that night showed Rosenbaum attempting to grab the gun from Rittenhouse.

This undated photo shows Anthony Huber, right, who died in Kenosha, Wis. Aug. 25, 2020. Huber was fatally shot, Aug. 25, 2020, along with Joseph Rosenbaum during a protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer on Aug. 23. (Hannah Gittings via AP)

Anthony Huber, 26, was seen on video swinging a skateboard at Rittenhouse right before he was shot. According to the AP, Huber was an avid skateboarder who was "very upset" a police officer shot Blake.

Gaige Grosskreutz was the third victim. He was shot in the arm, and ran from the scene to seek medical attention for his wound.

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

Related:Kyle Rittenhouse

More from Across Wisconsin