Kyle Rittenhouse Found Not Guilty

A Wisconsin jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on Friday for shooting and killing two men during a Kenosha protest last year, ending a lawsuit investigating gun rights and race. Rittenhouse, 18, near Antioch, Illinois, was acquitted on August 25 last year during a protest against a black Jacob Blake shooting by a white Kenosha officer on all five charges related to his actions. 

Rittenhouse in a dark suit and burgundy shirt was overwhelmed by emotions when his fifth acquittal was read aloud in court. He hugged defendant lawyer Corey Chirafisi. He had to tell the client to relax and take a deep breath. His fellow defender Mark Richards clapped his hands at the table with delight when the final acquittal verdict was announced while the prosecutor looked down. 

The families of those shot dead held hands in court and cried when the sentence was read aloud. After three and a half days of deliberation, some of the committee appeared tired in the jury box. About 25 hours from Tuesday morning, seven female and five male jurors deliberated. Richards said the long talks possibly meant a compromise in the decision to put the client in jail, at least for some time. He said he was worried that it might be. However, the defense's allegations were sufficient to prove Kyle innocent, despite the backlash he faced from media outlets.