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CHICAGO (CBS) — Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges on Friday, after his trial for shooting three people, killing two of them in Kenosha last year.
Rittenhouse broke down in tears, nearly collapsing as the jury announced they had found him not guilty of all charges.
He had faced five counts, including charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree attempted homicide. He faced up to life in prison had he been convicted.
There was no question Rittenhouse shot anyone, and the trial boiled down to whether he was legitimately acting in self-defense. He had been charged in connection with the shootings of three people in August 2020 during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during the widespread civil unrest in Kenosha after Blake was shot by police.
The not guilty verdict came after approximately 26 hours of deliberations over four days. Rittenhouse’s attorneys are expected to discuss the verdict later Friday at their offices in Racine. Prosecutors have said they do not plan to speak to the media after the verdict.
Jurors heard from more than 30 witnesses during two weeks of testimony.
Things have remained calm in Kenosha for the two weeks of the trial, but Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called up the state’s National Guard in preparation for the verdict.
Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time of the shootings, took the stand during the trial, testifying he was acting in self-defense, and never wanted to kill anyone.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” Rittenhouse said.
Prosecutors had argued Rittenhouse instigated the violence that night, acting as a reckless vigilante who inserted himself in a situation where he didn’t belong.
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