Couple who brandished guns at protesters spotted in Kenosha to support Rittenhouse
By Brad Dress - 11/16/21 11:04 AM EST
The St. Louis couple who became a national sensation last year after waving firearms at Black Lives Matter protesters marching near their home have been spotted in Kenosha, Wisc., during the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.
Fox News reported that Mark and Patricia McCloskey were parked outside of a hotel near the Kenosha County Courthouse on Monday. Mark McCloskey told the news outlet that he and his wife "feel" for 18-year-old Rittenhouse, who faces multiple charges, including first-degree intentional homicide.
"We're just here to take in the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse case," said Mark McCloskey. "We feel for Mr. Rittenhouse. We think he acted in self-defense, we think he's been politically prosecuted, as were we. We hope the jury finds him not guilty on all counts."
Last year, Rittenhouse, then 17 years old, shot three men, killing two and wounding another, during protests that broke out in Kenosha following the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake.
Closing arguments in Rittenhouse's trial concluded Monday night, and the jury entered deliberations Tuesday morning to determine whether Rittenhouse is guilty on six separate counts.
The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges after brandishing weapons outside their home as Black Lives Matter protestors marched through their neighborhood in June 2020. Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to a second-degree harassment charge, while Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree assault charge.
They were both later pardoned by the governor of Missouri.
Mark McCloskey, a personal injury lawyer who recently launched a bid for the U.S. Senate, told Fox News in Kenosha that he thought it was a "wise idea" to attend the Rittenhouse trial.
"He's a young man, he was doing the best he could to help his country," he said. "As his reward, he's having the rest of his life threatened."
Tags kenosha Kyle Rittenhouse trial Black Lives Matter Mark McCloskey Mark and Patricia McCloskey Patricia McCloskey Wisconsin