What we learned about Kyle Rittenhouse's life from his testimony
Taking the witness stand in his murder trial Wednesday, Kyle Rittenhouse shared details of his life in Antioch before the night he fatally shot two men and wounded a third during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.
Rittenhouse also testified about his actions in Illinois on the night of the shootings.
Here's some of what he revealed:
• Rittenhouse no longer lives in Antioch. He now lives in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
• He testified his father and other relatives live in Kenosha.
• Rittenhouse said he graduated from Penn Foster High School, an accredited, online school based in Pennsylvania.
• Rittenhouse testified he was a member of the Grayslake Police Department's Explorer program for young adults interested in law enforcement careers. A bullet-resistant vest he lent to someone else the night of the shootings had been issued by Grayslake police, he said.
• Rittenhouse also said he was a member of the Antioch Fire Department's cadet program for young adults interested in the fire service. It offers hands-on training and classroom instruction as preparation for future fire service employment, according to the fire department's website.
• When asked by prosecutor Thomas Binger if he was a member of the Antioch Fire Department, Rittenhouse initially said yes - but he later clarified he was part of the cadet program.
• Rittenhouse admitted lying about being an emergency medical technician while in Kenosha the night of the shooting.
• Rittenhouse had worked at the Hastings Lake YMCA in Lindenhurst but had been furloughed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Rittenhouse worked as a lifeguard at the RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, at the time of the shooting. He testified he drove to and from work and to Kenosha despite not having a driver's license.
• Rittenhouse testified that, after the shootings in Kenosha, his friend Dominick Black drove him to his home in Antioch. Rittenhouse said his mother, Wendy, subsequently drove him to the Antioch Police Department, where he reported he was involved in a shooting in Kenosha and needed to speak with Kenosha detectives.
• Rittenhouse said he applied for a Firearm Owner's Identification card in Illinois in May 2020, before the shootings, so he could legally possess firearms or ammunition in this state. The Illinois State Police denied his request due to the criminal charges later filed against him in Wisconsin.