18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse who is accused of killing two people and injuring one other after opening fire inside of a crowd of protestors has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Rittenhouse entered the plea on Tuesday via teleconference.

Authorities say that during sometimes destructive protest in August over the police shooting of Jacob Blake SR., Rittenhouse heard about a call to protect businesses in Kenosha, Wisconsin against rioters.

Rittenhouse then armed himself  and drove from his home in Illinois to defend businesses. On the second night Rittenhouse was in Kenosha, he reportedly opened fire into the crowd of protesters during a scuffle for his gun according to witnesses.

Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber were both shot and killed while Gauge Grosskreutz was wounded but survived.

Rittenhouse was eventually taken into custody after protest demanding his arrest, but was soon released after conservatives who hailed him a hero for defending businesses, raised enough money for his $2 million cash bail.

He is currently facing intentional homicide with an assault-styled weapon charges, however, Rittenhouse claims that he was acting in self-defense.