ANTIOCH — The Antioch Police Department has released new photos showing the rifle Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly used to shoot and kill two protesters in Kenosha.
The police department had earlier released incident reports detailing the moments when Rittenhouse turned himself in at the Antioch police station following the shooting, as well as how Rittenhouse and a friend obtained and brought two rifles to Kenosha.
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On Thursday, Antioch police explained that 40 pages and 10 images were "inadvertently left off" of TMJ4's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that led TMJ4 to obtain the previous incident reports.
The new photos show what Antioch police found in a car owned by a friend. Police say that friend bought an AR-style rifle for Rittenhouse with Rittenhouse's money. The friend also used that car to drive Rittenhouse and himself to Kenosha, and back home to Antioch, Illinois following the shooting.
The previous incident reports concluded that following the shooting, Rittenhouse had placed his rifle in the trunk of his friend's car before the friend drove them back to Antioch. The trunk was only reopened by police in Antioch. Police thus concluded at the time that Rittenhouse did not appear to bring the gun over state lines.
Thursday's photos include the car Rittenhouse and his friend drove in to Kenosha; an assembled AR-syle rifle in the truck; an ammo clip; a military-style backpack; and several photos of Rittenhouse when he was being processed at the Antioch police station. In the incident reports, Antioch police concluded that the assembled rifle belonged to Rittenhouse; the friend had disassembled his rifle before placing it in the truck.
The release also includes a document showing what appear to be posts on social media directed to Rittenhouse and his family. The messages include threats to murder them, to "roast" Rittenhouse, that he deserves to get shot and murdered, and that he is a "white supremacist murderer." The names of the people who sent the messages have been redacted, but profile pictures of some of the people are included in Thursday's documents. TMJ4 News is not releasing those messages due to the profile pictures as well as the vulgar language used throughout.
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide for the shooting deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum during unrest in Kenosha on Aug. 25. Rittenhouse attended his first appearance in Kenosha County Court last week, after an Illinois judge OKed his extradition back to Wisconsin.
