Kyle Rittenhouse Found NOT GUILTY on All Charges
Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges by a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
18-year-old Rittenhouse faced five counts for the shooting of three men in August 2020 during protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse killed two men — Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36 — and wounded a third, Gaige Grosskreutz, now 27.
Defense lawyers for Rittenhouse argued he acted in self-defense.
The five counts that Rittenhouse faced:
Count 1: first degree reckless homicide
Count 2: first degree recklessly endangering safety
Count 3: first degree recklessly endangering safety
Count 4: first degree intentional homicide
Count 5: attempted first degree intentional homicide
Rittenhouse could face life in prison if he is convicted for first-degree intentional homicide.
A sixth count, a misdemeanor possession of a dangerous weapon charge, was tossed by Judge Bruce Schroeder after the prosecution raised a very specific objection from a subsection of the Wisconsin law: The ban on minors possessing dangerous weapons only applies to short-barreled guns.
The gun had been purchased by a friend, as Rittenhouse was underage.
Rittenhouse provided emotional testimony in defense of his actions last week, claiming he was “ambushed” and “didn’t do anything wrong.” The defense painted him as a frightened teenager who acted in self-defense.
Prosecutors argued that Rittenhouse was a reckless aggressor and a threat who lacked remorse.
Monday — day 10 of the trial — was spent on the prosecution and defense’s closing arguments debating the likelihood that Rittenhouse’s actions qualified as self-defense.
The trial involved a review of the Kenosha videos taken by other protestors and reporters that showed Rittenhouse’s actions. The footage was used by both sides of the court to appeal to the jury, which spent four days deliberating.
During deliberations, the jury asked to rewatch certain videos of the shooting, as well as for additional copies of jury instructions.
This story contains reporting from Sara Wiatrak.
