Kyle Rittenhouse trial: National Guard on standby

Wisconsin’s National Guard is on standby 60 miles from Kenosha in case they’re needed to help when the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict comes down.

KENOSHA, Wis. - Wisconsin’s National Guard is on standby 60 miles from Kenosha in case they’re needed to help when the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict comes down.

The National Guard won’t officially say where they are staging. After finding the National Guard staging in Waukesha County, FOX6 asked a spokesman why the Guard would be 60 miles away from Kenosha.

"As for why Guard troops are staging where they are: those sorts of decisions are made in consultation with officials from the local and state level to ensure we meet the capabilities requested of us," Major Joseph Trovato said. "Our staging locations are chosen for a wide variety of reasons ranging from distance, response time, access to major travel arteries, capacity to handle the number of troops mobilized and more."

Roughly 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops are standing by. Governor Tony Evers activated them in case they’re needed in Kenosha. They won’t be deploying to Kenosha until and unless the local police there say they need them.

It's a city that saw destruction in 2020.

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"During all the rioting and the looting that was going on, a ton of businesses were destroyed," said Tony Farmer, store owner. "I was one of them. We got burned down completely. Quite a shock. We had to rebuild completely."

Farmer’s old Boost Mobile store is now a vacant lot. He’s rebuilt his business just around the corner, near 22nd Avenue and Roosevelt Road.

"I hope it doesn’t’ happen again," said Farmer. "It’s not good for the people running the businesses, everyday people that got to take care of their families and go to work every day, but I don’t get too involved in the politics. I mean, I just pray for the best for all sides."

He's hoping for the best as he worries about feeding his five kids in Kenosha.

"It was really tough," said Farmer. "It wasn’t easy. It was a real roller coaster ride, to say the least."

While other businesses are permanently boarded up, if the National Guard is called in, they can only provide support to local police and the Kenosha Fire Department and protect what’s deemed critical infrastructure and cultural institutions.