Lake County, Illinois prosecutor Michael Nerheim announced this evening that Kyle Rittenhouse will not face weapons charges relating to the August shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The rifle was apparently never in the state of Illinois.
From the Chicago Tribune:
An Antioch police investigation found that the Smith & Wesson .223 caliber rifle “was purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin” and turned up no evidence the 17-year-old “physically possessed” the weapon in Illinois, according to a news release from the office of Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim. The news release does not reveal who is believed to have bought or held the gun before the shooting.
Rittenhouse still faces a number of charges in Wisconsin including first degree intentional homicide, first degree reckless homicide and first degree reckless endangerment, not to mention possession of a weapon under 18 years of age.
Prosecutors and Rittenhouse’s lawyers are currently battling over whether he’ll be returned to Wisconsin to face those charges. His attorneys argued against his extradition in a petition last week, contending in part that sending the teen to adult jail in Kenosha County would endanger him. Lake County prosecutors are due to file their counterarguments this week and Judge Paul Novak has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Oct. 30.