What is the ‘Kenosha Guard militia’ and what did they do at the Wisconsin protests?
THE Kenosha Guard militia are a group of citizens who claim to be "patriots" willing to take up arms and defend residents in Wisconsin from "evil thugs”.
The group, which seeks “Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property,” hosts events on Facebook and counted teen vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse as one of its supporters.
What is the 'Kenosha Guard'?
The Kenosha Guard are a militia group that started on .
The group has patrolled the streets of the city in Wisconsin following the spurred by the shooting of .
The group’s goal is to recruit “any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our city tonight from evil thugs.”
They attempted to stop looters and rioters from running the streets of the town.
A third night of protests was underway when an “unidentified young white man” was caught on video spraying rounds of bullets in point-blank range at protesters in the middle of the street.
Twitter users began pointing fingers at Rittenhouse, who they claimed was part of a “police explorer” program with Kenosha cops.
Photos of Rittenhouse holding an AR-15 gun surfaced on Twitter, and many believe the weapon was used to harm the demonstrators.
"My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance ( should do the same!)…
"…TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!"
Was Kyle Rittenhouse arrested?
Rittenhouse was arrested by police and charged with first degree murder for allegedly shooting two people.
The suspect allegedly fled Wisconsin for his home state following the shooting.
It is unclear if Rittenhouse is a member of the Kenosha militia.
A video surfacing the internet shows Rittenhouse with members of the militia getting bottles of water from a law enforcement officer in an armored vehicle.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth, who appeared at the same event, said deputies would toss water to anyone.
"If someone came walking past, I don't care if they're a protester or who they are, they would pass water," he said.
"We have cases. People have come to our command posts... . We have pallets of water and Gatorade."
Another militia group called the boogaloo also attended the demonstrations in Kenosha.
A member named Justin Mishler claims that they are not affiliated with the Kenosha militia.
Mishler also said that Rittenhouse is not affiliated with the boogaloos.
"He's not one of us," Mishler said of Rittenhouse.