Teenager Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted in the Kenosha shooting, which resulted in the death of 2 adults and also inflicted fatality and racism charges on the white teenager.
The jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on the basis of self-defense rights within the United States of America.
The jury found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty of murdering the young men, two different counts of homicide, another count of attempted homicide which resulted in wounding a man, and two separate counts of endangering safety in protests which resulted in riots, looting episodes, and arson on 25th August 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Rittenhouse and his family immediately broke down into tears as the verdict was announced. Rittenhouse broke down to sobs and later collapsed on the floor, shaking.
Dozens of protesters were outside the courthouse after the verdict was announced. Some expressed their disappointment over the verdict while the majority were holding placards in support of the teenager.
“We are all so very happy that Kyle can live his life as a free and innocent man, but in this whole situation there are no winners, there are two people who lost their lives and that’s not lost on us at all,” David Hancock, a spokesperson for the Rittenhouse family,
Kyle Rittenhouse had fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber. He was also allegedly blamed for firing a bullet on Galge Grosskreutz which tore off a huge chunk from his arm.
Rittenhouse claimed that all of this was done in self-defense.
President Biden’s take on the verdict was “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.“
He urged Americans to stay calm and not react impulsively.
The Kenosha shooting incident was linked with white supremacists in the past as soon as the incident took place.
The verdict has been greeted with pleasure by many sections of American society but in reality, it showcases the dividing gap amongst the nation. The country is going deep into partisan division and that is very evident from the verdict which came in the favor of Kyle Rittenhouse.“It is unconscionable that our justice system would allow an armed vigilante … to go free,” the Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement.
