DW captures footage of Kenosha gunman

A team from DW News in Kenosha, Wisconsin has filmed exclusive footage of the 17-year old who prosecutors say shot dead two people and injured another during demonstrations this week.

The footage was captured on the night of August 25/26 but was only later found to contain images of the teenager.

The footage shows Kyle R, with an AR-15 assault weapon slung across his chest, approaching and then talking with police officers.

It is believed to have been filmed shortly before he shot three people on Tuesday — the third night of protests sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police.

Read more: UN: Jacob Blake shooting shows issue of racism in US police

Teenager faces three charges

Kyle R. has been charged with two counts of homicide and one attempted homicide, as well as "recklessly endangering safety" and possession of a dangerous weapon.

A high-profile lawyer representing the teenager said on Friday his client had acted in self-defense.

Atlanta-based attorney Lin Wood said separate video footage of the altercation would vindicate his client despite what he described as misinformation being spread by the media.

Prosecutors say the teenager traveled 30 miles (50 kilometers) from his home in Antioch, Illinois, before the shooting at about 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday where he fired an assault-style rifle at three protesters who tried to subdue him, killing two of them.

Read more: Jacob Blake protests reverberate through US sports

'I just killed someone'

The criminal complaint cites as evidence several videos recorded by witnesses, including one in which Kyle R. is seen calling a friend from the scene and telling them: "I just killed somebody."

Protests erupted in Kenosha in the wake of Blake's shooting by police, which left him paralyzed. Several businesses were vandalized and buildings burned.

Kyle R., once part of a youth cadet program for aspiring police officers, spoke to a reporter from the Daily Caller new site on Tuesday night.

"People are getting injured and our job is to protect this business,'' he said. "And part of my job is to also help people. If there is somebody hurt, I'm running into harm's way. That's why I have my rifle.''

This article was written with material from Reuters and The Associated Press

Editor's note: Deutsche Welle follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.