Judge Rules People Shot By Kyle Rittenhouse Can’t Be Referred To As ‘Victims’

The people shot and killed by Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last August cannot be referred to as “victims” during his trial a judge ruled on Monday.

The judge also decided that the people he shot will be allowed to be called “arsonists” or “looters.”

“The word ‘victim’ is a loaded, loaded word. And I think ‘alleged victim’ is a cousin to it,” said Judge Bruce Schroeder on Monday. “Let the evidence show what the evidence shows. And if the evidence shows that any or more than one of these people were engaged in arson, rioting or looting – then I’m not going to tell the defense they can’t call them that.”

Schroeder has a longstanding rule that he will not allow anyone to be called a “victim” in any trial he oversees.

The ruling outraged many, with critics saying that this gives Rittenhouse an unfair advantage in his defense.

Assistant district attorney Thomas Binger said that the judge was creating a “double standard.”

“If I were to count the number of times that you’ve admonished me not to call someone a victim during a trial, it would be in the thousands,” he said.

“The terms that I’m identifying here, such as ‘rioters,’ ‘looters.’ ‘arsonists,’ are as loaded, if not more loaded, than the term ‘victim,’” Binger added.

Rittenhouse is facing multiple felony charges of homicide in the shooting and deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, as well as attempted homicide for shooting and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.

The shooting took place during a Black Lives Matter protest in August of 2020, where Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, crossed state lines with an AR-15 style rifle and met up with a militia group that called for volunteers to protect businesses during the protest.

During the protest Rittenhouse shot and killed Rosenbaum and Huber, and wounded Grosskreutz. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. His defense attorneys argue that he was acting in self-defense.

Several videos taken during the protest show Rittenhouse walking the streets that night with the weapon, along with a group of armed men. In another viral video, law enforcement officials were shown giving water to Rittenhouse and other armed militia members with one saying to them, “We appreciate you guys – we really do.”