A man who was shot by Kyle Rittenhouse during a 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, wants to change his name after enduring death threats for two years.
Gaige Grosskreutz filed a secret petition to change his legal name on Tuesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In a statement made through his lawyer, Grosskreutz said: “Yes, after two years of death threats from right-wing lunatics I made the difficult decision to change my name for the protection of me and my family.”
Grosskreutz told CNN in September of 2020 that he and his family members — including his 65-year-old grandmother — were receiving death threats from supporters of Rittenhouse.
“But the real story here isn’t that I am seeking to change my name, but that a process that is supposed to protect and shield those in danger was undermined and sealed information was released to the right-wing media within hours of my filing,” the statement continued.
The Journal reported that Grosskreutz requested an investigation by the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court after the sealed petition was leaked to the Kenosha County Eye, which published the story on Wednesday. The outlet is run by Kevin Mathewson, who used Facebook to organize a group to protect the city from disorder during the protests, according to The New York Times.
Mathewson denied having any contact with Rittenhouse during the unrest in Kenosha, The Times reported.
Kenosha County prosecutors charged Rittenhouse with two counts of homicide, along with several other crimes. Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injured Grosskreutz amid civil unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was fully acquitted on November 19, 2021, after arguing he acted in self-defense.
During the trial, Grosskreutz told the jury he attended the Kenosha protests because he was a trained EMT and paramedic and believed he could provide medical services to anyone injured.
Kimberley Motley, Grosskreutz’s attorney, has requested records of those who had access to the petition, The Journal reported.
Representatives for Grosskreutz, Mathewson, and the Milwaukee County Clerk did not respond to Insider’s requests for comment before publication.
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