The sole survivor of the shooting incident during the protest in Kenosha a month ago speaks out about the ordeal for the first time.
22-year-old medic Gaige Grosskreutz opened up in an exclusive interview with CNN on Tuesday, a month after the shooting, which killed two men and him left injured.
“That’s all I think about,” Grosskreutz shared, “I play it back in my head, I think about it all the time.”
Trained as a paramedic, he knelt beside a bleeding woman carrying the medical supplies he needed to treat her wound.
Officers in riot gear kept advancing toward them, without showing an intention to break rank to let him work on the woman, neither did they offered any help.
Some other men helped Grosskreutz pick the woman up and move to a safer location, where he finally managed to stop the bleeding.
Once stable, he and the woman got to their feet when another group of armed all-white men without badges entered the scene.
Minutes later, Grosskreutz was bleeding on the ground.
The two other victims, Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, did not survive.
17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who had an affinity for police, is accused of shooting the three men.
Grosskreutz had attended many peaceful protests in Milwaukee against police brutality and racial injustice, but his experience in Kenosha changed his life.
“I was shot point blank with a .223 round from the shooter,” he said, “And I am now missing 90% of my bicep. This has not been easy emotionally, physically. I’m in constant pain, like excruciating pain that just doesn’t go away — both in my arm, in my heart.”
Grosskreutz packed medical supplies in a small bag pack with the intention of providing medical support if required, as well as his licensed gun after seeing a call to arms on Facebook.
Kimberley Motley, Grosskreutz’ lawyer explained, “He was down there to try to provide assistance to everybody indiscriminately.”
“I never fired my gun,” said Grosskreutz, “I was there to help people. Not hurt people.”
Even after being shot, Grosskreutz said he never used his gun that night.