Man who fired shots before Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha charged
'The defendant is seen walking in the same area, holding his right arm upwards, and firing off one shot from his handgun,' a criminal complaint said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The man who admitted firing gunshots before Kyle Rittenhouse gunned down two people and wounded a third during a protest in Kenosha, Wis., has been charged.
Joshua Ziminski, 35, faces disorderly conduct and use of a dangerous weapon charges stemming from the Aug. 25 shooting during protests in the city over Jacob Blake's serious injuries after being shot in the back by police.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News, Kenosha detectives investigating the fatal shootings reviewed video footage of the night's events and observed Ziminski holding a black handgun. In one video, he is seen walking with his wife near the Ultimate Gas Station before he is captured firing a shot into the air, authorities said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KYLE RITTENHOUSE TO SUE BIDEN, CAMPAIGN FOR LIBEL, ATTORNEY SAYS
“Detective Howard observed a muzzle flash emit from the handgun, and heard a gunshot at the same time," the complaint states. "In another video, the defendant is clearly seen at that same location. The defendant is seen walking in the same area, holding his right arm upwards, and firing off one shot from his handgun."
Detectives met with Ziminski and his wife on Oct. 7, where they both admitted he fired a "warning shot" into the air. The pair also said the firearm was stolen from their home several days prior.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rittenhouse's attorney, Lin Wood, released an 11-minute video last month through his #FightBackFoundation that says shots were fired before and after the teen killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, in the first fatal shooting.
Wood said video footage of the incident proves his client acted in self-defense.
"The evidence is overwhelming," Wood told Fox News on Tuesday. "There's not one iota of evidence that he did anything except defend himself."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ziminski pleaded not guilty to the charges against him Friday and was released on $1,000, according to records. A court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4. Calls and messages to his attorney were not returned.
After shooting Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse was seen in a now-viral video running on the street with a military-style rifle. He then shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26 and wounded another person in the arm as he appeared to be attacked while on the ground.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and several other criminal charges. He is being held in Illinois, pending extradition to Wisconsin.
On Tuesday, Illinois prosecutors said they declined to charge the teen with gun offenses after an investigation revealed he never possessed the weapon used in the killings in the state.