Nov. 3 (UPI) — A Kenosha County court commissioner set bail at $2 million for 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of fatally shooting two people and injuring a third during late summer protests in Wisconsin.
Court Commissioner Loren Keating set the bail for Rittenhouse during a Zoom hearing on Monday, stating the teen charged as an adult poses a flight risk.
Rittenhouse faces homicide charges for shooting to death Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as injuring Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, with an AR-15-style rifle on Aug. 25 during protests in Kenosha that erupted following the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake that resulted in his paralysis.
“The court is going to impose a $2 million cash bond, believing that is reasonable and necessary and sufficient at this juncture to secure the appearance of Mr. Rittenhouse,” Keating said.
Rittenhouse’s defense attorney Mike Richards had asked for bail to be set at $750,000, arguing his client had no prior criminal record and had surrendered himself to the authorities.
John Huber, the father of Anthony Huber, had urged the court to impose a stiff bail, saying there are people and militias that will help ensure Rittenhouse’s release by raising money for his bail.
“There’s people out there raising money right now, making it their own fight, that it’s about gun rights,” Huber told the court. “It’s not about gun rights. My son was killed. Another man was killed. They didn’t deserve to be killed.”
Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Ill., was arrested last month in his home state, and was extradited to Wisconsin late last week despite his legal team arguing it was a violation of his client’s constitutional rights. His next preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3.
