Kyle Rittenhouse Went to Court to Ask for the Rifle Used in Wisconsin Killings Back

Kyle Rittenhouse, who last year was acquitted on all charges related to the fatal shootings of two men and the injuring of another during the Kenosha unrest, asked a court to return the rifle he used in the killings. Rittenhouse’s attorney said Rittenhouse would like the rifle back so he can destroy it. His attorney has also asked for the return of a 30-round capacity magazine, bullets, an iPhone, and some clothing.

“Mr. Rittenhouse further wishes to ensure that the firearm in question is properly destroyed,” attorney Mark Richards wrote in the document filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court, arguing that Rittenhouse “is the lawful owner of the firearm “per the verbal contract enacted with Dominick Black,” who was dating Rittenhouse’s sister at the time.

Rittenhouse was too young to purchase a firearm at the time and earlier this month, Black agreed to plead no contest to a non-criminal citation of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in exchange for the dismissal of two felony counts.

Following his acquittal, Rittenhouse made clear he intended to destroy the firearm.

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“We’re having [the rifle] destroyed right now. We don’t want anything to do with that,” he said during an appearance on the conservative podcast The Charlie Kirk Show in December.

Rittenhouse faced multiple criminal counts, including first-degree intentional homicide and attempted homicide was acquitted of all charges relating to the fatal shootings of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz during the Kenosha unrest.

The protests erupted following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, who was paralyzed from the waist down.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.