A Wisconsin jury acquitted US teenager Kyle Rittenhouse on Friday of murder in the fatal shooting of two men during a racial justice protests in 2020.
The jury found Mr Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges: two counts of homicide for the death of two people, one count of attempted homicide for wounding a third man, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety during racial justice protests marred by arson, rioting and looting on August 25, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The jury, composed of seven women and five men, had deliberated for roughly 24 hours over the course of four days, Persecondnews.com.
Defence lawyer Mark Richards said that Mr Rittenhouse immediately left the courthouse following the verdict to return home.
Mr Richards was asked about the defence’s strategy to put Mr Rittenhouse on the stand during the trial, where the teenager broke down in tears recalling the timeline of events on the night of the shootings.
“If you don’t put a client on the stand, you’re gonna lose,” Mr Richards said.
Assistant Distract Attorney Tom Binger, who led the prosecution, said the jury’s decision must be respected although it is “disappointing”.
“We are grateful to the members of the jury for their diligent and thoughtful deliberations,” Mr Binger said in a statement.
“The Kenosha community has endured much in the past 15 months, and yet we remain resilient and strong.”
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