A Wisconsin jury reached verdicts Friday in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager who shot and killed two men and wounded a third at a protest last year. The jury found him not guilty on all charges.
Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder announced around noon CT that the verdict had been reached, capping a trial that began with opening statements two weeks ago.
The panel of seven women and five men had been deliberating since late Tuesday morning.
Rittenhouse, now 18, is accused of reckless homicide in the slaying of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and intentional homicide in the fatal shooting of Anthony Huber, 26, during an Aug. 25, 2020, social justice protest in Kenosha.
Two days earlier, a white police officer in Kenosha shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, at close range, leaving him paralyzed.
Rittenhouse and other armed men said they went to Kenosha to protect private property during the violent, chaotic protest.
In addition to the two homicide counts, Rittenhouse was also charged with attempted intentional homicide in the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz, 27. The paramedic from suburban Milwaukee had gone to the protest to provide medical aid and was carrying a Glock pistol when Rittenhouse shot him at close range.
Rittenhouse is also facing two counts of recklessly endangering safety. He attempted to shoot an unknown person, known in court as “jump kick man,” who tried kicking the defendant in the face and prosecutors said Rittenhouse could have wounded another man when he opened fire on Rosenbaum.
Rittenhouse testified in his own defense last week and said all the shootings were acts of self-defense.
The trial has drawn national attention, focusing on issues on gun rights and race.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has pleaded for calm but has deployed 500 National Guard in anticipation of post-verdict protests.
THANK GOD!
I can not see this as RIGHT?! HE IS A KID USING A ILLEGAL GUN SOME ONE ELSE BOUGHT FOR HIM TO SAVE LIVES???????? hE IS a KID OUT TO DEFY THIS IS SO WORONG ON ALLLLLLLL LEVELS AND NOW WHAT HAPPENS TO ALLLL THE $$$$$ RAISED THE FAMILY NOW RICH!? i THINK THE JURORS WERE AFRAID OF THREATS ECT AFTER THIS IF THEY DID NOT FIND HIM NOT GUILTY OR THEY WERE BOSAUGHT OFF
Are you kidding me? The gun was NOT illegal.Whether the gun was purchased via a “straw buy” is a matter for the Federal Government, not the state. The district attorney in this case suborned perjury, over charged the “defendant” and clearly way out of his capability, He had every right to be there defending private property whether or not it was his property or not. The police were told NOT TO DO THEIR JOB and let the rioters loot and burn. The money that was raised goes to Kyle’s defense.
The threats were made by your Leftist-Socialist Anti-Gun Radicals.
While you are at it, you might want to take a good English language course, one that stresses capitalization, punctuation, grammar and spelling (especially).
May God have mercy on your soul.
Kath. Innocent until found guilty in a court of law. Your remarks are biggoted and biased.