Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all charges

By Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal, Meg Wagner, Melissa Macaya and Melissa Mahtani, CNN

Updated 11:51 PM ET, Fri November 19, 2021
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1:24 p.m. ET, November 19, 2021

White House declines to immediately comment on Rittenhouse verdict

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal

The White House declined to weigh in on the verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse case on Friday, moments after a jury found Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts. 

“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.”

1:22 p.m. ET, November 19, 2021

JUST IN: Jury finds Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges

(Pool)
(Pool)

Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and four other charges on Friday in connection to the fatal shooting of two people and wounding of another during last year’s unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

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.

The prosecution sought to show Rittenhouse acted criminally and recklessly.  

The events of that night, almost all captured on video, were hardly in dispute, but the 12-person jury sided with the now 18-year-old teen who said that he was defending himself.

 

1:06 p.m. ET, November 19, 2021

The jury has reached a verdict in the Rittenhouse trial

Kyle Rittenhouse, center, and his attorney Corey Chirafisi listen during his trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on November 11.
Kyle Rittenhouse, center, and his attorney Corey Chirafisi listen during his trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on November 11. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News/Pool/AP)

A jury has reached a verdict in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who killed two people and shot another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer. The verdict will be read in court shortly.

The verdict comes after a two-week trial highlighted by Rittenhouse taking the stand and telling the jury he shot the men in self-defense.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I defended myself," he testified.

Rittenhouse, now 18, was charged with five felonies:

  • First-degree intentional homicide
  • First-degree reckless homicide
  • Attempted first-degree intentional homicide
  • Two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety

Jurors were also able to consider lesser offenses for two of the five counts.

A misdemeanor weapons possession charge and a non-criminal curfew violation were dismissed by Judge Bruce Schroeder prior to deliberations.

The charges stem from the chaotic unrest last year in the wake of the Kenosha Police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. After instances of rioting and fiery destruction, Rittenhouse, 17 at the time, took a medical kit and an AR-15-style rifle and joined up with a group of other armed people in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020.

There, Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum – who was chasing the teenager and threw a plastic bag at him – and then tried to flee the area. A crowd of people pursued the teenager, and Rittenhouse shot at a man who tried to kick him; fatally shot Anthony Huber, who had hit him with a skateboard; and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, who was armed with a pistol.

Prosecutors called up to 22 witnesses over the course of six days as they sought to show that Rittenhouse provoked Rosenbaum by pointing the rifle at him. The prosecution portrayed the three other people who confronted the teen as “heroes” trying to stop what they believed to be an active shooting.

However, the defense said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense and feared for his life when he shot at the men.

12:08 p.m. ET, November 19, 2021

The jury has been deliberating for about 2 hours today

The jurors in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse started deliberating for a fourth day around 10 a.m. ET. That means they've been in the deliberation room for about two hours today.

The panel of five men and seven women have deliberated for roughly 23 hours over the past three days.

Rittenhouse — the teenager accused of killing two people and shooting another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer — is charged with five felonies.

10:19 a.m. ET, November 19, 2021

Rittenhouse jury begins 4th day of deliberations

The jurors in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse resumed their deliberations on this morning, according to a pool reporter in court.

The panel of five men and seven women have deliberated for roughly 23 hours over the past three days. The court did not specify an exact time jurors resumed their deliberations today.

9:55 a.m. ET, November 19, 2021

Rittenhouse jury has deliberated about 23 hours so far

The fourth day of jury deliberations in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is about to begin.

So far, the jury has deliberated for an estimated 23 hours total on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We don't have an exact time as the court has not released specific start, stop or lunch break times.

Jurors are set to reconvene at 10 a.m. ET to continue deliberations.

A verdict could come at any time.

9:34 a.m. ET, November 19, 2021

The jury will soon begin its 4th day of deliberations

The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse case is set to reconvene at 10 a.m. ET today. This will mark the fourth day of deliberations.

The 12-person jury, made up of five men and seven women, deliberated for an estimated 23 hours total on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They have asked the court a handful of questions so far, including requests Wednesday to rewatch much of the video evidence of the shootings.

Rittenhouse — the teenager accused of killing two people and shooting another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer — is charged with five felonies.

9:25 a.m. ET, November 19, 2021

These are the charges against Kyle Rittenhouse

From CNN's Ray Sanchez and Brad Parks

The jury will reconvene at 10 a.m. ET today for a fourth day of deliberations in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. While we wait for the jurors to assemble, here's a look at the five felony counts against Rittenhouse.

Count 1: First-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon

Count 1 states Rittenhouse recklessly caused the death of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum under circumstances that showed utter disregard for human life.

Wisconsin law allows the use of deadly force only if "necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm."

Count 2: First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon

Count 2 states Rittenhouse recklessly endangered the safety of Richard McGinniss — a journalist with the conservative Daily Caller — under circumstances that show utter disregard for human life.

Count 3: First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon

Count 3 states Rittenhouse recklessly endangered the safety of an unknown male, referred to as "jump kick man" in court, under circumstances that show utter disregard for human life.

The man jumped at Rittenhouse at one point, trying to kick him and the teen opened fire. "I thought if I were to be knocked out, he would have stomped my face in if I didn't fire," he said. Rittenhouse fired at the man twice and missed.

Count 4: First-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon

Count 4 states Rittenhouse caused the death of 26-year-old Anthony Huber, with intent to kill him. It's the most serious charge he faces, with a mandatory life sentence. Huber swung his skateboard at Rittenhouse after Rosenbaum was fatally shot.

Prosecutors asked that the jury also be instructed on second-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and second-degree reckless homicide.

Defense attorneys objected to second-degree reckless homicide. The judge said he "embraced" the defense's argument. But he will likely allow lesser charges of second-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide.

Count 5: Attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a weapon

Count 5 states Rittenhouse attempted to cause the death of 27-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz, with intent to kill him.

After shooting Huber, Rittenhouse testified, he saw Grosskreutz lunge at him and point a pistol at his head. Rittenhouse shot him, he testified. Grosskreutz was wounded.

Grosskreutz testified he pulled out his own firearm because he believed Rittenhouse was an active shooter.

Prosecutors asked for lesser charges of attempted second-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree reckless endangerment. Schroeder said he was inclined to agree with the prosecution.

Remember: A misdemeanor weapons charge was dismissed by the judge as proceedings opened Monday morning.