MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge has approved an agreement by lawyers to destroy the assault-style rifle that Kyle Rittenhouse used to shoot three people during a 2020 street protest.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said the state crime lab would destroy the gun, probably in April.
Judge Bruce Schroeder, the Kenosha County judge who presided over Rittenhouse’s trial, approved the agreement.
Rittenhouse’s attorney had filed a motion asking prosecutors to return Rittenhouse’s rifle, his ammunition, his face mask and other clothing he was wearing the night of the shooting to him.
A spokesman for Rittenhouse said last week that Rittenhouse, who is now 19, wanted to destroy the rifle so nothing can be used as a political symbol or trophy celebrating the shootings.
Late last year, Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all counts in connection with three shootings that took place amid protests against police brutality in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Two people were killed and a third person was injured.
Rittenhouse was 17 and had traveled state lines to patrol the protests. Jurors found that he had fired his weapon in self-defense.
Rittenhouse had faced charges of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
