Last Friday, Nov. 12, Governor Tony Evers activated 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops to the city of Kenosha. Evers was preparing for the potential of the city becoming unraveled after the verdict was announced in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.
Today Judge Bruce Schroeder announced the verdict:
Rittenhouse has been found not on all five charges.
He was on trial for first-degree intentional homicide and four other charges. Those charges were as follows:
- First-degree intentional homicide
- First-degree reckless homicide
- Attempted first-degree intentional homicide
- Two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety
Background
Rittenhouse was on trial for homicide charges after he killed two people — Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber — and injured Gaige Grosskreutz. He opened fire in Aug. of 2020 during unrest in Kenosha Wisconsin. Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The city erupted in protest after Jacob Blake was shot multiple times in his back by law enforcement. On the third night of unrest, Rittenhouse crossed state lines — he’s from Illinois — with an AR-15-style rifle where he then killed Rosenbaum and Huber. He was later arrested for the shooting.
The teenager claimed self-defense for his actions.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself,” the teenager stated on the witness stand.
Rittenhouse, who is now 18, is being charged with five felonies in connection to the fatal shooting. A conviction of Rittenhouse could have been a mandatory life sentence in prison.
On Monday morning (Nov. 15) Judge Schroeder dismissed a misdemeanor charge against Rittenhouse. The charge dropped was for possession of a dangerous weapon for an individual under 18 years of age. This charge could have put Rittenhouse in prison for up to nine months plus paying a $10K fine.
