Christian crowdfunding site raises $500K for Rittenhouse legal defense

A Christian crowdfunding website raised more than $520,000 to help pay the legal fees of 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of shooting and killing two people during protests in Kenosha, Wis.

The funds were raised on GiveSendGo, a page created after Rittenhouse allegedly shot three people who were protesting over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the New York Post reported.

Rittenhouse has been held without bail in Lake County’s juvenile detention facility since his arrest in August. Prosecutors have charged him with shooting three men with an AR-15-style rifle and first-degree intentional homicide in the death of two protesters, among other charges.

“Now, Kyle is being unfairly charged with murder … by a DA who seems determined to capitalize on the political angle of the situation,” the fundraising page reads. “The situation was clearly self-defense, and Kyle and his family will undoubtedly need money to pay for the legal fees.”

The website — sponsored by an Atlanta-based group called “Friends of the Rittenhouse family” — surpassed its goal of raising $500,000 on Monday, garnering nearly $523,000 in donations.

Rittenhouse was arrested at his home in Antioch, Ill., one day after the shooting in Kenosha.

The teen was in Kenosha on Aug. 25, three days after Blake’s shooting, allegedly to help the town protect against damage caused during the demonstrations.

Video footage from the incident shows protesters approaching Rittenhouse, including 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, who is seen throwing a bag at the teen.

Rittenhouse then opened fire and shot Rosenbaum dead.

Footage shows the teen fleeing the scene, holding an AR-15-style rifle, while other demonstrators attempt to chase him down.

Rittenhouse falls at one point as one of the demonstrators, later identified as 26-year-old Anthony Huber, attempts to strike him with a skateboard. Huber was also fatally shot.

Another man, Gaige Grosskreutz, walked up to Rittenhouse with a handgun, and the teen shot him in the arm.

Rittenhouse then walks toward police vehicles with his arms in the air, but law enforcement appears to ignore him, and the teen drove back home to Antioch, about 30 minutes away, where he was arrested the following day.

Rittenhouse is expected to appear before a judicial hearing in Wisconsin on Oct. 9, though he seeks to challenge his extradition from Illinois.