Kyle Rittenhouse supporter welcomes not guilty verdict

Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice in the U.S.

Rittenhouse, 18, began to choke up, fell to the floor and then hugged one of his attorneys upon hearing the verdict.

He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a tumultuous night of protests over police violence against Black people in the summer of 2020. The former police youth cadet is white, as were those he shot.

The jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

"The jurors got the real information and the jurors made the real decision, said Brandon Lesco, a Rittrenhouse supporter form Los Angeles. Kudos to the jury."

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder.

As he dismissed the jurors, Circuit Judger Bruce Schroeder assured them the court would take "every measure" to ensure they are safe.

A sheriff's deputy immediately whisked Rittenhouse out a back door through the judge's chambers.