Witness Says He Thought Kyle Rittenhouse Was 'Active Shooter'

KENOSHA, WI — Gaige Grosskreutz, a protester whom Kyle Rittenhouse is accused of shooting in the arm, testified Monday that he thought Rittenhouse was an "active shooter" at a protest in Kenosha.

Grosskreutz testified in the trial of Rittenhouse, who is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, recklessly endangering safety and possessing a weapon under 18. He's accused of shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha, on Aug. 25, 2020, and wounding a third, Grosskreutz.

"I thought [Rittenhouse] was an active shooter," Grosskreutz, 27, testified in response to questions from the prosecution.

Grosskreutz watched Anthony Huber, 26, get shot and killed and thought his best course of action was to close the distance between himself and Rittenhouse on Sheridan Road, he testified.

"What was going through your mind at the time?" Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger asked.

"That I was going to die," Grosskreutz said. He added that he wasn't trying to kill Rittenhouse.

Corey Chirafisi, defense attorney for Rittenhouse, asked Grosskreutz if he pointed his own gun, a Glock 27, in Rittenhouse's direction as Rittenhouse sat on the ground with his rifle. Grosskreutz answered "Yes."

Grosskreutz was shot in the bicep; he was the only person to survive being shot that night.

Prosecutors said they would rest their case on Tuesday.

Rittenhouse is expected to testify, defense attorneys said.

Grosskreutz filed a civil lawsuit against Kenosha County, the city of Kenosha and its law enforcement agencies, according to court documents. The complaint alleged that Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth and Kenosha Police Department Chief Daniel Miskinis were aware of armed militias patrolling downtown Kenosha during protests.

Protests in Kenosha were sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man shot by a white police officer, amid racial justice protests across the U.S. The police officer, Rusten Sheskey, was cleared by local and federal investigators of wrongdoing.