Kyle Rittenhouse: NOT A Hero....

To preface, I sell firearms for a living, an occupation I take VERY seriously.  I know the applicable firearms laws in play in this situation; I work with them on a daily basis, and I have stopped numerous transactions that would have violated those laws.

Rittenhouse was a minor in possession of a firearm when he killed those people, end of story.  He could not legally be hired to protect business property, as he says was the case, because he is a minor.  He could not legally carry the loaded firearm in public as a minor unless in the company of a parent/legal guardian, which was not the case.  He violated Wisconsin and federal firearms laws regarding firearm possession.  He gave money to a third party to purchase a firearm on his behalf that he could not legally purchase/own himself - a straw purchase, and a federal felony.  As an aside, unless the friend who made the illegal purchase said something to the dealer at the time of purchase indicating that he was buying the firearm on behalf of an ineligible party, there is no way the dealer could have possibly known and is innocent of any wrongdoing, end of story.

His friend, 19 year old Dominick Black, who says he bought the firearm in Wisconsin on Rittenhouse’s behalf has admitted to violating federal law.  He executed a straw purchase, lying on a federal form, buying the gun on behalf of and receiving payment from an individual he knew to be unable to legally purchase/own the firearm himself; this is a federal felony carrying a $250,000 fine and a 10 year prison sentence.  He aided and abetted a minor to own/possess/carry a firearm in violation of both Wisconsin and federal law.  He has finally been charged with two state felony counts of supplying a minor with a firearm leading to death; he should also be facing federal felony charges relating to straw purchase and lying on a federal form.

If Rittenhouse had been protecting his own home or a business owned by his parent that evening using a firearm purchased/possessed by that parent, this would be an entirely different story.  As it is, Rittenhouse and his friend should both be facing both state and federal firearms charges.  He was not a hero, and he gives those of us who ARE lawful firearms owners a bad name.

PS: even though Rittenhouse was declared not guilty in a kangaroo show trial that the prosecution and judge did everything to throw, I still maintain that Rittenhouse is a murderer who should be facing federal firearms charges.