Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, is warning Americans of impending riots as the widely-publicized Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial is poised to release a verdict soon.
“Cities across America are preparing for RIOTS ahead of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict,” Gooden wrote in a tweet. “Remember this when the media says the RADICAL LEFT is peaceful.”
Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested in 2020 after shooting two “looters” in Kenosha, Wis., during massive, violent riots in response to the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a black man. Rittenhouse was just 17 at the time, and his ongoing murder trial has been the subject of much media attention. Left-wing leaders and Hollywood celebrities have slammed the young man for his actions, which are hotly debated in the political arena.
Rittenhouse says that he acted in self-defense when he killed the two Kenosha looters.
On the night of the shootings, two men confronted Rittenhouse in the streets, Joshua Ziminski and Joseph Rosenbaum. Both men were reportedly part of a group of arsonists who were setting fires. Video footage has revealed that Ziminski was holding a handgun and Rosenbaum was carrying a heavy chain when they confronted Rittenhouse, who was alone. In the video, Ziminski can be seen discharging his handgun into the air, at which point Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse across a parking lot. Rittenhouse was then cornered by the two men. Rittenhouse then reportedly shot Rosenbaum four times, and then attempted to get in touch with the police. Unfortunately, a second altercation ensued before he could do so, resulting in Rittenhouse fatally shooting 26-year-old Anthony Huber.
Both of the men who were fatally shot – Rosenbaum and Huber – had extensive histories of criminal charges. Among a long string of dubious offenses, Rosenbaum was actually charged by a grand jury of 11 counts of child molestation and sexual activity in the state of Wisconsin. Additionally, Anthony Huber was reportedly a repeat domestic abuser (he received a disorderly conduct conviction in 2018).
In light of the murky pasts of these men, as well as the nature of their inflammatory confrontation with Rittenhouse, the judge presiding over the trial stipulated that neither Rosenbaum nor Huber were to be referred to as “victims” in the courtroom. Instead, the court was instructed to refer to them as “arsonists,” “looters,” and “rioters.”
The murder trial for Rittenhouse has been extremely politicized and the verdict of the case will likely determine whether or not the right to self-defense and the right to bear arms, as stated in the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights, will hold water.
If Rittenhouse is acquitted, radical organizations like Black Lives Matter (BLM) could use the verdict as an excuse to riot. In fact, it appears that Chicago is already preparing for this possibility, cancelling their officers’ time off ahead of the verdict, leading many to believe that riots are not just a possibility, but a probability.
Justin Blake, the uncle of Jacob Blake, who was the subject of the Kenosha riots where Kyle Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum and Huber, stated the following about the trial, according to the Western Journal:
“It seems like he’s aiming to let this man out of this courthouse scot-free, and we’re not going to let that happen. If it happens, we’re not going to be quiet about it.”
It appears that Kyle Rittenhouse will remain an unwitting target for political and racial vitriol, regardless of what the verdict is. Things are looking good for Rittenhouse at the moment, thanks to a weak prosecuting attorney and overwhelming video evidence that will likely prove that he was indeed acting in self defense…but the jury, in this case, is still out on the final decision.
