Kyle Rittenhouse’s criminal defense attorney, Mark Richards said that he “can’t count” the number of death threats he’s received recently.
“It’s too high,” he added. He has received so many death threats that he needed to stop using his own cellphone. The attorney switched to using his wife’s cellphone but her number has also been targeted by people making death threats. “I would love for things to change,” said Richards. He continued, saying he wants “people to talk to one another without fighting, but, unfortunately, I don’t see it changing it any time soon.”
Richards offered a statement directly after Rittenhouse was found not guilty.
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Rittenhouse had been charged with fatally shooting, where he shot three people with an AR-15 style semiautomatic file, killing two and injuring the other, during protests against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020. The people who were killed were Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber. He injured Gaige Grosskreutz and was also charged with recklessly endangering two other men. But he was released of all charges by a jury.
Richards led the defense team that argued that the teen acted in self-defense during the incident and only fired his weapon because he believed he was under attack.
The threatening calls began around three weeks ago, and Richards said he could “fluff off” at first, but the intensity of these calls increased after Rittenhouse’s acquittal.
“By the time I left the courthouse yesterday and started answering my phone, the first three calls were death threats, and I just quit answering my phone. I’m going through my emails, there are threatening emails too.” Richards said.