A fundraiser on a Christian crowdfunding platform has raised more than $313,000 to help pay legal costs for Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of killing two people and injuring a third during a Black Lives Matter protest last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The fundraiser on GiveSendGo says in its description that Rittenhouse "defended himself from a brutal attack by multiple members of the far-leftist group ANTIFA."
"The experience was undoubtedly a brutal one, as he was forced to take two lives to defend his own," says the page's description, written by someone identified only as Rob.
Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, faces multiple charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, in connection with the shooting at last week's protest in Kenosha.
Last week, John Pierce announced that he would defend Rittenhouse alongside local attorneys.
He said the defense would be funded by the #FightBack Foundation, an organization that he and the lawyers Lawson Pedigo and Lin Wood set up to bring "lawsuits to stop the lies and smears of the radical left."
The fundraiser on GiveSendGo said it was in contact with Pierce about the funds it had raised. Insider was unable to verify whether the GiveSendGo fundraiser was indeed in contact with Rittenhouse's attorneys. The attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
"Kyle now faces the wrath of those who would see us stripped of our God-given rights and reduced to servitude. He is in dire need of our help," an update on the GiveSendGo page reads. "Kyle will likely need significant amounts of cash to post bail; for this reason, this fundraiser will be ongoing. His success is our success; his failure, the loss of our right to self-defense. I firmly believe that with the continued support of all of you fine people, Kyle will be freed."
Jacob Wells, GiveSendGo's founder, told Insider that the website had verified the campaign and the disbursement of the funds. He said the organizer asked to remain anonymous. In an update posted on the fundraiser's page on Monday, the organizer encouraged donors to help them reach $500,000.
Meanwhile, #FightBack is raising its own funds for Rittenhouse through its website.
Wood said on Twitter on Monday night that more than 11,000 people had donated a total of $605,550 to #FightBack. He said he was aware of other crowdfunding efforts.
"It is average citizens who we believe will give what they can to help this boy despite unsettling times," Wood said. "They are Freedom Loving Americans & backbone of America."
This article has been updated to include Wood's fundraising comments.
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