Christian Site Raises $315K For Rittenhouse Lawyers

ACROSS AMERICA — A Christian fundraising site is among the latest crowdfunding source to rally to raise money for the accused killer from Antioch who police say opened fire on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week. The shootings came on a night of protests in response to the police-involved shooting of Jake Blake days earlier.

The GiveSendGo site had brought in more than $314,000 as of Tuesday morning for Rittenhouse's legal defense. High-profile attorneys Pierce Brainbridge and L. Lin Wood have taken on the Antioch teen's case.

Rittenhouse was arrested Wednesday in Antioch, Illinois where he lives, and faces charges in Wisconsin after prosecutors say he fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha and Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, of West Allis.

Brainbridge claims Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and has been wrongfully charged with murder after "defending himself from a relentless, vicious and potentially deadly mob attack." Rittenhouse's legal team is also soliciting donations to pay for the teen's legal costs through its #FightBack Foundation.

• Crowdfunding To Help Pay For Rittenhouse Lawyer
• Court Documents Detail Rittenhouse Charges

On Monday, the Rittenhouse campaign was among the top trending fundraisers on the GiveSendGo site. The GiveSendGo campaign had the following short explanation behind the purpose for the Rittenhouse fundraiser:

Kyle Rittenhouse just 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. Now, Kyle is being unfairly charged with murder 1, by a DA who seems determined only to capitalize on the political angle of the situation. The situation was clearly self-defense, and Kyle and his family will undoubtedly need money to pay for the legal fees. Let's give back to someone who bravely tried to defend his community.

Other top campaigns included a fundraiser for a pregnant Colorado woman with Type 1 diabetes to purchase a medical device meant to monitor her insulin levels and another to pay for food for children at an orphanage in Mwembe, Uganda, after floods washed away their garden.

The GiveSendGo site touts itself as the number one Christian crowdfunding site that is meant for Christians to come together and support other Christians in their endeavors.

Other fundraising efforts meant to support Rittenhouse have cropped up across the U.S., including a Republican student group at Arizona State University that announced it would be sending money to Rittenhouse. College Republicans United announced on Twitter this week that half of all funds the organization raises this semester will go to the 17-year-old Illinois boy's legal defense.

"He does not deserve to have his entire life destroyed because of the actions of violent anarchists during a lawless riot," the tweet said.

• Arizona State U. Group Fundraising For Accused Kenosha Shooter

Meanwhile, Rittenhouse fundraising campaigns on popular crowdfunding sites Fundly and GoFundMe have been taken down.