On a tumultuous night in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the life of Joseph Rosenbaum, a 36-year-old Caucasian male, came to a violent end. The date was August 25, 2020, and the city was the scene of intense civil unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rosenbaum, who had been released from a psychiatric hospital earlier that day, was unarmed amidst the chaos.
Witnesses later described his behavior that evening as aggressive; he was seen acting belligerently and had reportedly threatened a group of armed men, which included 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse, who had traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois, was carrying an AR-15 style rifle and said he was there to protect local businesses from rioting.
The fatal encounter began to unfold in the parking lot of a used car dealership. Just moments after another protester fired a handgun into the air, Rosenbaum began to chase Rittenhouse. As the pursuit continued, Rosenbaum threw a plastic bag he was carrying at the teenager. Rittenhouse testified that Rosenbaum ambushed him, cornering him between parked cars. As Rosenbaum lunged forward and reached for the barrel of Rittenhouse's rifle, the teenager fired four shots at close range. A forensic pathologist would later testify that the shots were fired from within a few feet, striking Rosenbaum in the groin, hand, thigh, back, and head.
Immediately after the shooting, Rittenhouse fled the scene as a crowd began to pursue him, leading to two further shootings. He was arrested the following day in Illinois and charged with multiple counts, including first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Joseph Rosenbaum. The case drew national attention, becoming a flashpoint in the country's debate over gun rights and self-defense. Rittenhouse's defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, fearing that Rosenbaum would take his rifle and use it to kill him. After a highly publicized trial, in November 2021, a jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges related to the events of that night.
