(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — A jury is expected to begin deliberating the fates of three white Georgia men charged in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery after first hearing final arguments on Monday that the 25-year-old Black man was either “hunted down” and murdered or was killed in self-defense when he resisted a citizens’ arrest.
The radically different theories based on the same evidence are expected to be laid out in closing arguments set to commence Monday morning in Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick, Georgia. The closing arguments are expected to take all day as the prosecutor and attorneys for the three defendants are each expected to speak to the jury.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Tuesday morning.
Travis McMichael, the 35-year-old U.S. Coast Guard veteran; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, a retired Glynn County police officer, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, 53, each face maximum sentences of life in prison if convicted on all the charges.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count state indictment that includes malice murder, multiple charges of felony murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a 12-gauge shotgun and aggravated assault with their pickup trucks.
The McMichaels and Bryan were also indicted on federal hate crime charges in April and have all pleaded not guilty.
Here’s how the news developed. All times Eastern:
Nov 22, 10:17 am
Prosecutor says defendants attacked Arbery because he was Black
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski began her closing argument by telling the jury that the three defendants chased and killed Arbery based on “assumptions and decisions” made in their driveways based on rumor and neighborhood gossip.
“The state’s position is all three of these defendants made assumptions, made assumptions about what was going on that day and they made their decision to attack Ahmaud Arbery in their driveways because he was a Black man running down the street,” Dunikoski said.
She stressed that the “bottom line” is that the defendants assumed Arbery had committed a crime “because he was running real fast down the street.”
“They did not call 911. They wanted to stop him and ‘question’ him before they called 911,” she said. “How do we know that? Because that is what they told the police that night.”
She asked the jury to closely consider the evidence she said shows beyond reasonable doubt that the men committed murder.
“This is your search for the truth,” Dunikoski told the jury. “You are Glynn County.”
(WAUKESHA, Wis.) — At least five people were killed and more than 40 others injured on Sunday when a car plowed into a Christmas parade in Wisconsin, according to authorities.
The incident occurred at around 4:39 p.m. local time in Waukesha, about 17 miles west of Milwaukee. The vehicle allegedly associated with the incident — a red SUV — has since been recovered and a person of interest was taken into custody, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson said at a press conference Sunday evening.
Thompson said an officer, who has been with the Waukesha Police Department for over 6 years, discharged their weapon in order to stop the car, but no bystanders were hit.
The investigation into the event is ongoing, and it was unclear if there was any connection to terrorism.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers described the incident as a “senseless act.”
“I’m grateful for the first responders and folks who acted quickly,” Evers wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening.
A number of people from the scene, including at least 12 children, were taken to various local hospitals, according to Thompson, who at the time only confirmed “some fatalities.” A statement from the City of Waukesha later confirmed there were five people dead and over 40 injured.
“However, these numbers may change as we collect additional information,” the city noted in the statement late Sunday night. “Many people have self-transported to area hospitals.”
Authorities are working to identify the victims and notify their next of kin.
Several of the injured, including some in critical condition, were admitted to Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Aurora Medical Center in Summit, Wisconsin, about 15 miles west of Waukesha, according to separate statements from the hospitals.
A Catholic priest, multiple parishioners and Catholic schoolchildren were among the wounded, according to Sandra Peterson, communications director of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
“Please join us in prayer for all those involved, their families, and those who are traumatized from witnessing the horrible scene,” Peterson said in a statement on Sunday night.
Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow said he and his wife had just finished participating in the Christmas parade when they heard police sirens.
“Shortly afterward, I learned that a vehicle drove through the parade route injuring many people,” Farrow wrote in a series of posts on Twitter on Sunday evening. “This is an unspeakable tragedy, affecting us all as we work to overcome an extremely challenging two years and resume our cherished holiday traditions. Keep the families affected in your thoughts as we work to offer whatever support we can.”
Waukesha Fire Department Chief Steven Howard told reporters that his department was marching in the parade when the incident happened. A dozen local fire departments assisted in the response, according to Howard.
The City of Waukesha urged members of the community “to come together during this time and to keep the families in your prayers.”
“Many people witnessed traumatic events this evening,” the city said in a statement on Sunday night.
The Waukesha Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order on Sunday evening for those within a half-mile radius of the downtown area. The scene was marked secure later that night, according to Thompson.
Still, roads in the area will be closed for at least the next 24 hours. Public schools in Waukesha will also be closed on Monday, Thompson said.
In a statement Sunday night, the Waukesha School District confirmed that Monday’s classes were cancelled for all students and that a decision regarding Tuesday’s classes “will be determined during the day on Monday.”
“Several of our administrative staff and principals met this evening following the tragic event that occurred at the City of Waukesha Christmas Parade,” the school district said. “”At this time, we are working with the police department to more fully comprehend all of the tragic details of this unfortunate event.”
The City of Waukesha said “the scene is still fluid” and that the street where the event took place will not reopen before mid-day on Monday.
“Businesses in this area should remain closed as entry and exit from Main Street will not be allowed,” the city added in its statement. “When the area is open, the City is requesting that any items for a temporary memorial be placed at Veterans Park.”
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation told ABC News that the agency’s Milwaukee field office “is aware of the reporting of an incident in Waukesha.”
“The local and state authorities are leading the response,” the FBI spokesperson said.
U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the Waukesha incident on Sunday night, according to the White House.
A White House official told ABC News that they are “closely monitoring the situation in Waukesha.”
“Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this terrible incident,” the official added. “We have reached out to state and local officials to offer any support and assistance as needed.”
ABC News’ Jack Date, Matt Foster, Will Gretsky, Molly Nagle, Victor Ordonez and Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.
(ATLANTA) — A passenger accidentally discharged a gun at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Saturday, airport officials said, causing panic and sending travelers onto the tarmac on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
The incident occurred around 1:30 pm local time at the security screening area, the airport said in an update on Twitter.
“There is not an active shooter,” the airport said. “There is no danger to passengers or employees.”
A passenger accidentally discharged the gun at the main checkpoint, TSA said in a statement to ABC News.
During a bag search, the X-ray identified a prohibited item, TSA said.
The transportation security officer “advised the passenger not to touch the property, and as he opened the compartment containing the prohibited item, the passenger lunged into the bag and grabbed a firearm, at which point it discharged,” TSA said. “The passenger then fled the area, running out of the airport exit.”
Three people sustained non-life-threatening injuries, likely during the airport evacuation, a TSA spokesperson said.
Atlanta Police Department was on site investigating the incident.
About two hours after the discharge, the airport was given an “all-clear” to resume normal operations, airport officials said.
The shooting caused chaos and confusion. Videos taken by travelers showed the panicked moments after the discharge, with people running out of the terminal. Other travelers could be seen huddled lying on the ground.
Travelers reported being stuck on the tarmac or in baggage claim after the incident, Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB reported.
TSA said its officers have detected more than 450 firearms at the Atlanta airport’s checkpoints so far this year.
“This incident underscores the importance of checking personal belongings for dangerous items before leaving for the airport,” TSA said in a statement. “Firearms, particularly loaded firearms, introduce an unnecessary risk at checkpoints, have no place in the passenger cabin of an airplane, and represent a very costly mistake for the passengers who attempt to board a flight with them.”
The incident occurred during what is shaping up to be the busiest travel weekend since the start of the pandemic due to Thanksgiving — at the busiest airport in the United States.
Transportation Security Administration officers screened 2,242,956 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide Friday — the “highest checkpoint volume since passenger volume tanked in early 2020 as a result of the pandemic,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.
(ATLANTA) — There was an accidental gun discharge at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Saturday, airport officials said, causing panic and sending travelers onto the tarmac on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
The incident occurred around 1:30 pm local time at the security screening area, the airport said in an update on Twitter.
“There is not an active shooter,” the airport said. “There is no danger to passengers or employees.”
No injuries have been reported, according to the Atlanta Police Department, which was on site investigating the incident.
About two hours after the discharge, the airport was given an “all-clear” to resume normal operations, airport officials said.
No further details on the shooting, including who discharged the gun, have been released at this time.
The shooting caused chaos and confusion. Videos taken by travelers showed the panicked moments after the discharge, with people running out of the terminal. Other travelers could be seen huddled lying on the ground.
Travelers reported being stuck on the tarmac or in baggage claim after the incident, according to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
The incident occurred during what is shaping up to be the busiest travel weekend since the start of the pandemic due to Thanksgiving — at the busiest airport in the United States.
Transportation Security Administration officers screened 2,242,956 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide Friday — the “highest checkpoint volume since passenger volume tanked in early 2020 as a result of the pandemic,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.
(CHICAGO) — The story of De’Janay Stanton’s death is one that many transgender women in Chicago fear. The 24-year-old Black transgender woman was shot and killed by a romantic interest in 2018, and since then more and more stories like hers have come to light — in her city and across the U.S.
“They want to date our girls in darkness — they don’t want to be in public,” said her sister, Chimera Griffin. “She never expressed danger to me, but me, being a mom, I always knew something was gonna be bad because of society. In society, they’re so cruel.”
So far this year, the Human Rights Campaign has recorded four Black trans women being murdered in Chicago among at least 47 transgender or gender non-conforming people killed nationwide. But local activists say many more cases likely go unreported.
“We don’t have good statistics on the violence that Black trans women experience,” said Kim Fountain, chief administrative officer of the Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ social services agency. “If you don’t have those numbers, then it’s really hard to get a system to move on anything.”
Chicago has seen the most trans deaths so far in 2021, up from two in 2020.
On Trans Day of Remembrance, Nov. 20, families, activists and the trans community in Chicago are planning to reflect on the culture of fear, victimization and violence against trans people in their city — and the lack of accountability for the killers of these women.
“They were never afforded the dignity that human beings should be afforded,” said Jae Rice of local LGBTQ activist group Brave Space Alliance. “As long as we’re not afforded that dignity while we’re living, our deaths will never be something to be dignified at all.”
Honoring trans women
Stanton’s family found out about her death over Instagram live. A video captured Stanton, dead with a gunshot wound to her head, lying next to her car on Aug. 13. Someone who found Stanton’s body posted the video, telling the community to “check on their people,” according to Stanton’s sister, Chiquita Griffin.
Her death was ruled a homicide, and Tremon T. Hill has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing. It’s unclear whether Hill has legal representation.
Stanton is remembered by her family through her jokes, her fashion and her widespread social circle.
“You would never catch her in a bad spirit or bad mood because she always wanted to be, like, the face of happiness,” Griffin recalled. “A lot of trans women were sad, or they had to be tough, or they had to be on their toes all the time. She was on her toes all the time, but she was happy.”
Her happiness and her vibrancy created a safe haven for people around her, her sisters added, and their house became a place for women like Stanton to feel at home.
“So many girls, their families just throw them away, and just didn’t want to bother with them because they were transitioning into who they wanted to be,” Griffin said. “So she brought them all to my house.”
The trans community in Chicago is small, Griffin continued, but the women killed this year — 28-year-old Tyianna Alexander, 24-year-old Tiara Banks, 32-year-old Disaya Monaee, and 25-year-old Briana Hamilton — were loved and known by many, including Stanton’s family.
“These girls need more help,” Griffin said. “Not to mention the girls, the young ones, the next generation. They’re afraid to come out and be accepted in society, you know?”
According to the Chicago Department of Public Health, transgender and gender non-conforming adults in the state are more likely to report psychological distress than cisgender peers.
Trans individuals also are more likely to experience discrimination, harassment, economic hardship and violence, the CDPH reports.
Intersection of gun violence and transphobia
Of the 10 women killed and reported to the HRC in Chicago since 2015, eight were killed with a gun.
Gun violence in Chicago isn’t new: This year alone, the city has racked up more than 3,000 shootings, according to Chicago Police Department data.
Rice, of Brave Space Alliance, blames hypermasculinity as a root cause for much of the gun violence, transphobia and anti-trans crimes in Chicago. Toxic masculinity, the idea that violence, aggression and having power over another is an inherent part of manhood, often leads to men committing the vast majority of gun violence.
Rice says there is a prevalence of hypermasculinity, toxic masculinity and anti-LGBTQ sentiment in communities of color, like Chicago. Stigmas against queerness and femininity among men has led to the targeting of women like Stanton.
“Their manhood is now taken into question — if you’re sleeping with or are romantically engaged with a trans woman … there are so many messages out there that are telling you trans women aren’t women, when we know that’s not the case,” Rice said.
Stanton’s is one of very few trans killings in Chicago where a suspect has been charged. No one’s been charged in connection with the other three this year.
Brave Space Alliance, Griffin and others closely affected by this violence are working to get justice for other murdered trans people, pushing for resources to be allocated to the thorough investigation of these deaths.
Fixing a broken system
Local authorities, including the mayor’s office and the CPD, have implemented strategies to address violence and discrimination against the community.
Following years of complaints about Chicago police mishandling incidents involving transgender, intersex and gender-nonconforming people, CPD took steps to implement its “Interaction with Transgender, Intersex and Gender Nonconforming Individuals” policy in 2016, revising it this year after gathering public input via an online forum created in June.
CPD did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the status of the policy.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office also has created a “Citywide Strategic Plan” to address gender-based violence and human trafficking, which she said she plans on implementing over the next two years.
The plan includes increasing capacity within city departments to address these issue, coordinating prevention and intervention efforts, and exploring alternate responses to these cases outside of the criminal justice system.
The mayor’s office did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
In the meantime, local organizers, like Center on Halstead and Brave Space Alliance, are taking matters into their own hands.
According to Fountain, the Center on Halstead hosts local LGBTQ family groups to discuss city concerns, offers resources and financial aid to those in need, and holds community-based anti-violence projects and trainings.
Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ center on the city’s South Side, and it relies on community funding and donations to hold programs for trans Chicagoans who need help.
“If we fix our systems to support Black trans women, then a significant part of our culture, of our society, will be lifted up as well,” Fountain said. “That just speaks to how much oppression and how much bias, stigma, danger and harm they have experienced.”
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — Demonstrations sprang up nationwide in protest of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict Friday night, after a Wisconsin jury found the 18-year-old not guilty for the killing of two men and the wounding of another during political unrest in Kenosha last summer.
The verdict sparked outrage among those who feared an acquittal would embolden vigilantism, and anger in the families of the men shot who were seeking accountability and justice. Others, including pro-gun conservatives, have hailed Rittenhouse as a hero who was protecting private property from rioters.
In Kenosha, protesters gathered outside the courthouse, reacting in anger and frustration to the verdict. Outside a local church, pastors led residents in a prayer vigil Friday night, with some toting signs that said “Heal Kenosha.”
“Profoundly disappointed, sad, angry, crying, grieving and also looking to the future. Like OK, we’ve got work to do,” Rev. Monica Cummings, of Bradford Community Church, told Reuters of the mood that night. “And at the top of the list is healing. Our community can now begin the long process of healing and looking at how we want to be as a community together.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had activated some 500 National Guard members to be on standby to support public safety efforts if needed, though there were no major clashes reported in the wake of the verdict.
In Portland, Oregon, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared a riot “after a violent, destructive group began to breach the gate into the Multnomah County Detention Center,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.
About two dozen people had gathered in front of the gate around 9 p.m. local time, with some allegedly heard saying, “Burn it down,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The rear window of a Portland Police vehicle was shattered, as well as the windows on a local business, during the incident, according to police.
Police issued five citations and 17 warnings, and one person was arrested for a warrant, authorities said.
Meanwhile, in New York City, hundreds of demonstrators marched across the Brooklyn Bridge and gathered outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, holding signs with photos of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, the two men Rittenhouse killed.
Nearly 100 people took to the streets of Oakland, California, shouting “Revolution nothing else” while marching in response to the verdict, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported.
Demonstrators also gathered in Chicago to denounce the acquittal.
Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
During his testimony, Rittenhouse said he shot Rosenbaum, Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived, in self-defense.
“I didn’t intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse repeatedly said, at one point breaking down and sobbing on the witness stand.
Rittenhouse feels “a huge sense of relief,” his attorney, Mark Richards, told reporters Friday, adding, “He wishes none of this ever happened.”
The ruling in the closely watched trial prompted a response from President Joe Biden, who said in a statement, “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.”
(WASHINGTON) — After nearly a year of planning and a more than 4,500-mile trek across the country, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree arrived in Washington Friday, just in time for the holiday season.
Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton accepted the tree from Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur of the Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
“We are glad to have such a beautiful Christmas tree that all Californians and, frankly, all Americans can be proud of,” Blanton said.
This year’s tree is an 84-foot white fir nicknamed “Sugar Bear.”
After being harvested on Oct. 23, it made stops at various communities along the continental U.S. on its way to the nation’s capital.
The Six Rivers National Forest said the motto for this year’s donation was “Many Peoples One Tree.”
Over the next few days, the tree is expected to be decorated with LED lights and ornaments made in different California communities.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree tradition started back in 1964 when then-Speaker of the House John W. McCormack, D-Mass., placed a live tree on the Capitol lawn.
The tree lived for a few years before succumbing to wind and root damage.
In order to keep the tradition alive, in 1970 the Architect of the Capitol asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide a Christmas tree and since then, a different national forest is chosen each year to provide “The People’s Tree.”
A lighting ceremony is expected to happen in early December with the Architect of the Capitol and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
(NEW YORK) — New details were revealed Friday about an outside independent probe launched to investigate the treatment of the Turpin siblings since their dramatic 2018 escape from captivity, casting new light on how a Southern California county is grappling with allegations that the 13 siblings have been mistreated under its care.
Nearly four years ago, the Turpin children escaped from their Perris, California, home where they were subjected to brutal violence and deprived of food, sleep, hygiene, education and health care. At the time, advocates and county leaders assured the siblings — and a concerned public — that help was on the way. But some officials and some of the Turpin children are speaking out to say they still don’t have access to many of the resources and services guaranteed to them.
An ABC News investigation found that some of the Turpin children continue to face challenges and hardships since they were rescued and placed in the care of the county. Some of them have even faced assault and alleged child abuse again.
Watch the Diane Sawyer special event, “Escape From A House Of Horror,” on Friday, Nov. 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on Hulu.
In a statement to ABC News earlier this week regarding the Turpin siblings’ treatment, Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen acknowledged that “there have been instances in which those we seek to protect have been harmed,” and said his office has hired a law firm to “conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation” into what happened in the cases of the 13 Turpin children.
Officials told ABC News on Friday that Van Wagenen initiated the investigation on Oct. 28, one day after ABC News requested an interview with him to discuss the Turpin case.
As part of the probe, the California law firm Larson LLP “will be seeking” to interview the Turpin children, the county said. Current county employees will be “directed to participate in this investigation,” but not required to do so. Former county employees and those who do not work for Riverside County will be asked to cooperate with the probe as well, officials said.
The results of the inquiry will be released publicly when the investigation concludes, which officials said would be in March.
The county has not imposed a budget on the law firm, which “has been instructed to take all reasonable steps consistent with best practices in conducting its investigation,” the county said.
Mike Hestrin, the district attorney who prosecuted the Turpins’ parents, said the mistreatment of the 13 siblings has exposed serious systemic fissures that exist across the American social services system — where the most vulnerable should be able to seek help in their time of need.
“If we can’t care for the Turpin victims, then how do we have a chance to care for anyone?” Hestrin told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer in an interview for the 20/20 special event, “Escape From A House Of Horror.”
The investigation into the Turpins’ treatment will be led by former U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson, who served nearly 10 years on the bench in California, including three years in district court after being appointed by George W. Bush in 2006, according to his bio.
ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman, Josh Margolin and Allison Hope Weiner contributed to this report.
(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — Defense attorney Kevin Gough called the homicide trial of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black jogger, a “public lynching” of his client — who is one of three white men accused of chasing and killing Arbery.
He claimed that the trial has been “infected by mob violence by the woke-left mob,” and asked the judge for a mistrial once again. His request was denied by the judge.
“Third parties are influencing this case,” Gough said, referring to the “spectator activity” and “media frenzy” concerning public figures attending the trial and gathering outside of the courtroom. “This is what a public lynching looks like in the 21st century.”
Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski had argued that “there’s absolutely no evidence here that the jurors have been influenced in any way by the first and only larger crowd that came yesterday. No evidence that they even knew it was out there.”
Travis McMichael — who fatally shot Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020, while Arbery was jogging — claims he shot him in self-defense.
That day, McMichael was accompanied by his father Gregory and their neighbor Bryan. They followed Arbery, because they say they had believed that the 25-year-old was a criminal following recent reports of crime in the neighborhood.
Detective Parker Marcy testified that Gregory claimed he armed himself because he suspected Arbery may have stolen a handgun from his son’s truck several weeks earlier, but he acknowledged he had no proof of this.
The McMichaels claimed, through their lawyers. that they were attempting to make a citizens’ arrest. On the witness stand Thursday, McMichael said that Arbery never verbally threatened him or brandished a weapon during the five minutes the three of them chased Arbery before he was fatally shot.
The men have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
(KENOSHA, Wisc.) — A Wisconsin jury has acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges in his homicide trial.
The 18-year-old fell to the ground after hearing the verdict.
Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide, claiming he shot three men, two fatally, in self-defense during a 2020 protest.
A charge of violating a curfew that was imposed during the protests in Kenosha was dropped during the trial.
The charges stemmed from the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and a shooting that left 27-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz wounded.
During his testimony, Rittenhouse said he shot all three men with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in self-defense.
“I didn’t intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse repeatedly said, at one point breaking down and sobbing on the witness stand.
The chaos in Kenosha unfolded on Aug. 25, 2020, after protests erupted over a police officer shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Riots, vandalism and looting broke out, prompting an online call for armed “patriots” to come to the city to protect lives and property.
Rittenhouse, who was then 17, answered the call to help, his attorney, Mark Richards, said. Rittenhouse, who said he was a nursing student at Arizona State University and a former firefighter EMT cadet, claimed during his testimony that his primary purpose for going to downtown Kenosha on the night of the shootings was to provide first aid to people in need.
The prosecutors’ case hinged heavily on multiple videos showing Rittenhouse shooting the unarmed Rosenbaum as well as Huber, who allegedly struck him with a skateboard twice.
Video also captured Rittenhouse shooting Grosskreutz, a trained paramedic, in the right bicep after Grosskreutz approached him with a loaded pistol.
