Kyle Rittenhouse Found Not Guilty in Wisconsin Murder Trial
A Jury Acquitted Rittenhouse on Friday
A 12-person jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges in connection with the fatal shootings of two men and the wounding of a third during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wis., last summer.
Background of the Case
Rittenhouse, now 18, was 17 at the time of the shootings on Aug. 25, 2020. He had traveled to Kenosha from his home in Antioch, Ill., to attend a protest against police brutality following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white police officer.
During the protest, Rittenhouse allegedly shot and killed Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36. He also allegedly wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.
The Trial
Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and first-degree attempted intentional homicide. The trial began on Nov. 1, 2021, and lasted for two weeks.
The prosecution argued that Rittenhouse was a vigilante who had provoked the violence and that he had intended to kill or injure the men he shot. The defense argued that Rittenhouse had acted in self-defense and that he had only fired his weapon when he felt threatened.
The Verdict
The jury deliberated for four days before reaching a verdict. On Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, they found Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges.
The verdict sparked a mixed reaction. Some people praised the jury for upholding Rittenhouse's right to self-defense, while others criticized the verdict as a miscarriage of justice.
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