Armed militia members plan return to Wisconsin after deadly shootings during Jacob Blake protest

Members of the militia told WISN 12 News they estimated about 500 of them were among the protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.

Members of the militia told WISN 12 News they estimated about 500 of them were among the protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.

MEMBERS IN KENOSHA LAST NIGHT. MACKENZIE: I ACTUALLY FOUNDED THE WISCONSIN LIBERTY MILITIA . TERRY: KENOSHA COUNTY MILITIA FOUNDER MACKENZIE SCHEERENBERG IS A U.S. ARMY VETERAN OF AFGHANISTAN. HE SAYS HIS GROUP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KILLING AND SHOOTING IN KENOSHA TUESDAY NIGHT. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THESE CALLS FOR MILITIA GROUPS TO COME INTO KENOSHA PRECIPITATED THAT DEADLY VIOLENCE? MACKENZIE: NO, I DON’T BELIEV SO, BECAUSE IF WE SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON MONDAY NIGHT, BEFORE THE MILITIA GROUPS WERE IN TOWN, THERE WAS ALREADY CLEARLY A MAJOR UPTICK IN VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY. TERRY: MEMBERS OF A DIFFERENT MILITIA GROUP, THE KENOSHA GUARD, POSTED THIS MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK BEFORE TUESDAY NIGHT’S MILITIA-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS, SAYING THEY HAD 3,000 RSVP’S FO MILITIA GROUPS VOLUNTEERING TO MOBILIZE IN KENOSHA. THE MESSAGE GOES ON TO SAY, "I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR OFFICERS TELL US TO GO HOME UNDER THREAT OF ARREST AS YOU HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. IT IS EVIDENT THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY OFFICERS, DEPUTIES, AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT ARE HERE, YOU WILL STILL BE OUTNUMBERED." CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE? MACKENZIE: AT THIS POINT, NONE WHATSOEVER. TERRY: WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS TRAGIC WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT? MACKENZIE: OH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANYBODY HURT, SUFFER, OR KILLED. TERRY: A FELLOW MILITIA MEMBER DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED AND SAID THEY CAME WITH THEIR GUNS TO HELP POLICE. >> I DID NOT SEE ANY OUNCE OF NON-SUPPORT FROM ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT. EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT I CAME ACROSS WAS EXTREMELY THANKFUL, WAS GIVING INTEL, WAS TRYING TO LET US KNOW WHERE THE CROWDS WERE. MACKENZIE: I SAY IT IS NOT ABOUT DEFENDING PROPERTY. IT IS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE LIVES THAT COULD BE IN THOSE BUILDINGS. AND SO, IF YOU ARE OUT THERE BURNING BUILDINGS IT LOOKS TO ME , LIKE YOU’RE TRYING TO KILL PEOPLE. TERRY: SOME MILITIA MEMBERS SAY THEY PLANT TO RETURN TO DOWNTOWN KENOSHA TO HELP PROTECT PEOPLE AND PROPERTY. IN KENOSHA, TERRY SATER, WISN 12 NEWS JOYCE: FACEBOOK HAS REMOVED THE GROUP CALLING THEMSELVES KENOSHA GU

Armed militia members plan return to Wisconsin after deadly shootings during Jacob Blake protest

Members of the militia told WISN 12 News they estimated about 500 of them were among the protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.

Members of an armed militia group say they plan to return to Kenosha a night after a suspect shot protesters.The group organized through a Facebook group called "The Kenosha Guard."Facebook has since removed the page, saying it violated the social media site's militia policy, according to CNN.Members of the militia told our sister station WISN 12 News they estimated about 500 of them were among the protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night."I actually founded the Wisconsin Liberty Militia group," Mackenzie Scheerenberg said.He said he is a U.S. Army veteran and served in Afghanistan.Scheerenberg said his group had nothing to do with the two shooting deaths.WISN 12's Terry Sater asked him if he was concerned online calls for militia groups precipitated the violence."No, I don't believe so because if we saw what was going on Monday night before the militia groups were in town, there was already clearly a major uptick in violence and destruction throughout the entire city," Scheerenberg said.Members of the Kenosha Guard posted on Facebook before their page was removed, saying they had 3,000 people committed to mobilizing Tuesday night."I ask that you do NOT have your officers tell us to go home under threat of arrest as you have done in the past," the message said. "It is evident, that no matter how many officers, deputies, and other law enforcement officers that are here, you will still be outnumbered."Scheerenberg said the deadly shootings have not changed his perspective."Until people actively come out and start condemning the violence from the Black Lives Matter rioters," he said. "Then, I recommend that everybody in the area of Kenosha be armed and ready because they're coming for you."He did say he thinks the deaths were tragic."I don't want to see anybody hurt, suffer or killed," Scheerenberg said.Another armed militia member who did not want to be identified said they went to Kenosha to help police."I did not see any ounce of non-support from any law enforcement," the militia member said. "Every law enforcement agent I came across was extremely thankful, was giving intel, was trying to let us know where the crowds were.""I say it is not about defending property," Scheerenberg said. "It is about the possible lives that could be in those buildings. So if you're out there burning buildings. It looks to me like you're trying to kill people."

KENOSHA, Wis. —

Members of an armed militia group say they plan to return to Kenosha a night after a suspect shot protesters.

The group organized through a Facebook group called "The Kenosha Guard."

Facebook has since removed the page, saying it violated the social media site's militia policy, according to CNN.

Members of the militia told our sister station WISN 12 News they estimated about 500 of them were among the protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday night.

"I actually founded the Wisconsin Liberty Militia group," Mackenzie Scheerenberg said.

He said he is a U.S. Army veteran and served in Afghanistan.

Scheerenberg said his group had nothing to do with the two shooting deaths.

WISN 12's Terry Sater asked him if he was concerned online calls for militia groups precipitated the violence.

"No, I don't believe so because if we saw what was going on Monday night before the militia groups were in town, there was already clearly a major uptick in violence and destruction throughout the entire city," Scheerenberg said.

Members of the Kenosha Guard posted on Facebook before their page was removed, saying they had 3,000 people committed to mobilizing Tuesday night.

"I ask that you do NOT have your officers tell us to go home under threat of arrest as you have done in the past," the message said. "It is evident, that no matter how many officers, deputies, and other law enforcement officers that are here, you will still be outnumbered."

Scheerenberg said the deadly shootings have not changed his perspective.

"Until people actively come out and start condemning the violence from the Black Lives Matter rioters," he said. "Then, I recommend that everybody in the area of Kenosha be armed and ready because they're coming for you."

He did say he thinks the deaths were tragic.

"I don't want to see anybody hurt, suffer or killed," Scheerenberg said.

Another armed militia member who did not want to be identified said they went to Kenosha to help police.

"I did not see any ounce of non-support from any law enforcement," the militia member said. "Every law enforcement agent I came across was extremely thankful, was giving intel, was trying to let us know where the crowds were."

"I say it is not about defending property," Scheerenberg said. "It is about the possible lives that could be in those buildings. So if you're out there burning buildings. It looks to me like you're trying to kill people."

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