Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on all five counts against him earlier today for fatally shooting two people Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and shooting Gaige Grosskreutz who was left paralyzed.
We ask that members of our community continue to express their opinions and feelings about this verdict in a civil and peaceful manner,” Kenosha Attorney Thomas Binger, lead prosecutor, said.
At the beginning of Monday, Rittenhouse faced five felony charges and one charge, which if convicted, would have resulted in a life sentence for him.
Background
Following protests after a Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot a Black man named Jacob Blake, 29, leaving him partly paralyzed, a then 17-year-old Illinois native Kyle Rittenhouse, became embroiled in a deadly confrontation on August 25, 2020. Rittenhouse armed himself with an AR-15 rifle, crossed from his home state of Illinois to Wisconsin in what he said was ” defense of a local business owner.” However, the car dealership Car Sourceowner’s sons Sahil and Anmol Khindri denied that they asked Rittenhouse to “defend” their business.
During a confrontation with three protestors, Rittenhouse shot and killed two men Huber and Rosenbaum and wounded Grosskreutz.
The prosecution rested its case last Tuesday, after one count was thrown out, and the defense then rested last Friday.
The final jury panel was narrowed down to 12 people, seven women, and five men.
Kenosha Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed Rittenhouse’s possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 Monday morning before the start of closing arguments in the homicide trial. The charge was punishable by a $10,000 fine as well as up to nine months in prison.
The four remaining charges Rittenhouse faced included first-degree reckless homicide using a dangerous weapon in the death of Rosenbaum, a charge for endangerment of Richard McGinnis’ safety while using a dangerous weapon is another charge and attempted first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon for the shooting of Grosskreutz.
Rittenhouse was also charged with attempted first-degree recklessly endangering safety using a dangerous weapon for endangering the safety of an unknown man — known as “jump kick man” in court.
Schroeder made it clear from the trial’s start that the jury must acquit Rittenhouse if the jury is not able to establish Rittenhouse’s guilt on the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Schroeder also denied the prosecutor’s request for the judge to give the jury instructions to consider charges for second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Throughout the trial, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered 500 National Guard troops on standby outside of Kenosha.
“We ask that members of our community continue to express their opinions and feelings about this verdict in a civil and peaceful manner,” Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, lead prosecutor, said. “While we are disappointed with the verdict, it must be respected.”
