A Christian crowdfunding site has raised over half a million dollars to help 17 year-old Kenosha, Wisconsin, shooter Kyle Rittenhouse with legal fees, New York Post reports.
The GiveSendGo site, created shortly after Rittenhouse shot three Black Lives Matter protesters, and left two dead during a violent night of unrest in Kenosha on Aug. 25. Sponsored by a group called “Friends of the Rittenhouse family,” based in Atlanta, Georgia, set an initial goal of $500,00 but had surpassed that by Monday, with nearly $523,000 in contributions.
“Now, Kyle is being unfairly charged with murder 1, by a DA who seems determined to capitalize on the political angle of the situation,” the page reads. “The situation was clearly self-defense, and Kyle and his family will undoubtedly need money to pay for the legal fees.”
“Let’s give back to someone who bravely tried to defend his community.”
Rittenhouse was arrested the morning after the shooting at his home in Antioch, and was taken to the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center. The teen was with a group of other armed citizens guarding Kenosha businesses from looters amid Black Lives Matter protests in the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse’s family and legal team say various viral videos on social media of the incident in question show he acted in self-defense.
Rittenhouse is being held on murder charges and is fighting extradition to Wisconsin, where he would stand trial.