National & World News

Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all charges

Plus, what people are saying about the verdict — social media reactions fall on both sides of racial divide, gun debate

Jury finds , Kyle Rittenhouse , not guilty on all counts.On November 19, jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, declared Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts, bringing an end to an intense trial. .On November 19, jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, declared Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts, bringing an end to an intense trial. .FOX reports that 18-year-old Rittenhouse would have faced a mandatory life sentence if found guilty. .After delivering the verdict, Judge Bruce Schroeder said, , "I couldn't have asked for a better jury to work with and it has truly been my pleasure.".I think, without commenting on your verdict, the verdicts themselves, just in terms of your attentiveness and the cooperation that you gave to us, justifies the confidence that the founders of our country placed in you so I dismiss you at this time, Judge Bruce Schroeder, via FOX.I think, without commenting on your verdict, the verdicts themselves, just in terms of your attentiveness and the cooperation that you gave to us, justifies the confidence that the founders of our country placed in you so I dismiss you at this time, Judge Bruce Schroeder, via FOX.The 'not guilty' verdict came after the fourth day of deliberations and fifteen days after the trial began. .The 'not guilty' verdict came after the fourth day of deliberations and fifteen days after the trial began. .Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said, , "The jury has represented our community in this trial and has spoken.".Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger said, , "The jury has represented our community in this trial and has spoken.".Rittenhouse was being tried for first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.Rittenhouse was being tried for first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.He fatally shot two people and injured a third on the second night of riots in Kenosha on August 25, 2020. .He fatally shot two people and injured a third on the second night of riots in Kenosha on August 25, 2020. .The civil unrest stemmed from the police shooting of a 29-year-old man, Jacob Blake.After 26 hours of deliberation, the jury, consisting of five men and seven women, found Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts.
By
Updated Nov 19, 2021

Kyle Rittenhouse has been found not guilty in the killing of two men and the wounding of a third last year during a tumultuous night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse appeared emotional as the verdicts were read, his face trembling in the courtroom Friday after the judge admonished those present from making any reaction.

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The families of the two men who were fatally shot last year were summoned to the courtroom moments before the jury forewoman announced that the jury had unanimously found Rittenhouse innocent.

Once the verdicts were read, Rittenhouse broke down in tears and hugged one of his attorneys.

Judge Bruce Schroeder thanked the jury for their efforts and sent them home.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers pleaded for calm and said 500 National Guard members would be ready to move into Kenosha if violence erupted.

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The verdict was reached after nearly four days of deliberations in which one juror asked if she could take home the jury instructions.

The 18-year-old had previously faced life in prison for the shooting deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26; and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, who is now 28, but he will now be set free after not guilty verdicts o charges of homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering.

During the trial, Rittenhouse took the stand in his own defense, claiming he had fired his AR-15 style rifle in self-defense and that he feared for his own life during the chaos of the night.

The verdict came two days after Rittenhouse’s attorneys called on the judge to declare a mistrial, claiming the defense team was given an inferior copy of a potentially critical video from prosecutors. It was the second mistrial motion from the defense in a week that have now become moot in the wake of the not-guilty verdicts.

Previously Rittenhouse had also faced the charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that Judge Schroeder dismissed before jury deliberations began.

In another unusual development Thursday, Schroeder banned MSNBC from the courthouse after a freelancer was accused of following the jurors in their bus.

Last week, the defense asked for a mistrial with prejudice, meaning Rittenhouse could not be put on trial again. That request was prompted by what the defense said were improper questions asked by prosecutor Thomas Binger during his cross-examination of Rittenhouse, The Associated Press reported.

Rittenhouse, a then-17-year-old former police youth cadet, said he went to Kenosha armed with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle to protect property from rioters.

The protests during the summer of 2020 were fueled by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who survived after being shot in the back multiple times.

The Rittenhouse case became a central flashpoint in the debate over guns, racial injustice, vigilantism and self-defense in the U.S.

Conservative voices around the country, including those on Fox News and then-President Donald Trump, hailed the teen as a hero who simply exercised his Second Amendment gun rights. Former actor Rick Schroeder helped pay for his bail as he awaited trial and more than $2 million was raised toward his legal defense.

The verdict prompted some strong reactions on social media.

About the Author

ArLuther Lee is a visual editor and occasionally covers national and world news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Florida and has been a journalist for more than 25 years.

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