Black Lives Matter: Shooting suspect devoted Facebook page to praising police

Authorities disperse protesters out of a park in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photo / AP

A white, 17-year-old police admirer was arrested after two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.

Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, was taken into custody in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide. Antioch is about 25km from Kenosha.

Rittenhouse, identified in court papers as a lifeguard at a YMCA in Lindenhurst, Illinois, was assigned a public defender in Illinois for a hearing on Saturday on his transfer to Wisconsin. The public defender's office had no comment. Under Wisconsin law, anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.

Authorities disperse protesters out of a park in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photo / AP

Much of Rittenhouse's Facebook page is devoted to praising law enforcement, with references to Blue Lives Matter, a movement that supports police. He also can be seen holding an assault rifle.

Other photographs include those of badges of various law enforcement agencies, including the Chicago Police Department. All of the badges have a black line across them — something police officers do with black tape or other material whenever an officer is killed in the line of duty.

In a photograph posted by his mother, he is wearing what appears to be a blue law enforcement uniform as well as the kind of brimmed hat that state troopers wear.

Two people were killed and a third was wounded in an attack carried out by a young white man who was caught on cellphone video opening fire in the middle of the street with a semi-automatic rifle.

In the wake of the killings, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers authorised the sending of 500 members of the National Guard to Kenosha, doubling the number of troops. The governor's office said he is working with other states to bring in additional National Guard members and law officers. Authorities also announced a 7 pm curfew, an hour earlier than the night before.

The dead were identified only as 26-year-old Silver Lake, Wisconsin, resident and a 36-year-old from Kenosha. The wounded person, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, was expected to survive, police said.

According to witness accounts and video footage, police apparently let the young man responsible for the shootings walk past them with a rifle over his shoulder with his hands in the air as members of the crowd were yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people.

As for why the gunman was allowed to leave, Sheriff David Beth portrayed the scene as chaotic, with screaming, chanting, nonstop radio traffic and "people running all over the place."

The sheriff told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that armed vigilantes had been patrolling Kenosha's streets in recent nights, but he did not know if the gunman was among them. However, video taken before the shooting showed police tossing bottled water from an armored vehicle to what appear to be armed civilians walking the streets. And one of them appears to be the gunman.

"We appreciate you being here," an officer is heard saying to the group over a loudspeaker.

The sheriff later defended officers by saying, "Our deputies would toss water to anybody."

The FBI said it is assisting in the case.

- AP