Jurors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts in connection to the fatal shooting of two people and wounding of another during last year’s unrest in the city.
Rittenhouse, 18, would have faced a mandatory life sentence if found guilty and convicted of first-degree intentional homicide.
The verdict came on the fourth day of deliberations and 15th day of the trial.
Rittenhouse was facing charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety after he fatally shot two people and injured a third person during unrest in Kenosha on August 25, 2020.
Rittenhouse took the stand and testified before the jury that he acted in self-defense. He broke down in tears during the testimony as he recounted the shootings during the chaotic night of unrest, according to CNN.
The White House declined to weigh in on the verdict in the Rittenhouse case on Friday.
“Obviously this happened while I was out here,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a news briefing on Friday. “Let me talk to the President and talk to our team and we will get to a statement as soon as we can.”
Asked about the judge’s ruling that the people who were shot by Rittenhouse should not be referred to in court as victims, Psaki again declined to comment.
“I'm not going to give an assessment of this from here,” she said. “Let us get you a statement as soon as we can.”
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)