Prosecutors and defense lawyers are making their closing arguments in the criminal trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who is charged with homicide after fatally shooting two protesters during unrest last year in Kenosha, Wis.

Rittenhouse and his lawyers have argued that he was acting in self-defense when he shot three people with his AR-15-style rifle. In a dramatic turn on the stand last week, Rittenhouse testified that he feared for his life.

A prosecutor hoping to send Kyle Rittenhouse to prison made closing arguments in his homicide trial on Monday. The jury was expected to begin weighing later in the day whether Mr. Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense, or needlessly and illegally, when he shot three men in Kenosha last summer, two of them fatally, during a night of unrest.

Thomas Binger, who is leading the prosecution, used some of his final moments before the jury to attack Mr. Rittenhouse’s claim that he thought he had to fire at the men to stop them from killing or gravely wounding him.

Rittenhouse faces charges including first-degree intentional homicide, which is Wisconsin’s murder count; attempted first-degree intentional homicide; first-degree reckless homicide and reckless endangering.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he and at least one friend said they traveled to the Wisconsin city of Kenosha from Illinois on Aug. 25, 2020, to protect local businesses and provide medical aid after two nights of unrest, with businesses being looted and set on fire.