Kenosha gunman Kyle Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges at his arraignment on Tuesday.
Rittenhouse, now 18, entered the plea during a short hearing in the Wisconsin city, more than four months after he shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters and wounded a third.
The Illinois teenager was with armed militia members protecting businesses from looters on Aug. 23 during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black Kenosha man.
Rittenhouse fled after the shooting and was arrested in his home the following day and later extradited to Kenosha to face the charges — leading to his arraignment Tuesday.
His plea comes as the city braces for unrest over Blake’s shooting: Prosecutors are due to announce whether the officer who shot Blake will face criminal charges.
Rittenhouse, who is free on $2 million bail, has become a darling of far-right gun advocates, who contend the teen was defending himself when he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber.
A third protester, Gaige Grosskreutz, was wounded by Rittenhouse.
On Sunday, Grosskreutz and Huber’s family announced plans to sue the city, the county, and local law enforcement for a combined $20 million.
With Post wires