A little over a year ago on August 25, 2020, a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin took place following the aftermath shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black male who was shot by a white officer. 

On August 23, 2020, Blake, 29, was shot in the back four consecutive times as well as three times on his side by Officer Rusten Sheskey.

Following the shooting, protests and riots ensued, inciting world outcry on injustice within the Black community and police brutality.

Kyle Rittenhouse, a white male who was 17 years old at the time, originates from Antioch, Illinois, and was in attendance at this protest.

Rittenhouse’s reason for being there was to protect businesses and provide medical assistance if needed.

Rittenhouse went to the protest with his then 18-year-old friend, Dominick Black. Rittenhouse was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle that Black provided him months before, promising Black that he won’t use it until he is of age, which is 18.

Coming in contact with a Kenosha resident, Joseph Rosenbaum, Rittenhouse and Rosenbaum got into a disagreement about something. 

A journalist by the name of Richie McGinniss asked Rittenhouse a few questions on why he was there. 

After that, McGinniss and Rosenbaum followed him. A shot was fired into the air by Joshua Ziminski when Rittenhouse turned toward Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum then throws himself at Rittenhouse in an attempt to retrieve his rifle, when Rittenhouse responded by firing four shots at Rosenbaum, eventually killing him.

Following the altercation, Rittenhouse then attempts to flee while being trailed by bystanders. Rittenhouse then trips and falls, when an unknown man kicks him and attempts to take his rifle. Rittenhouse then fires two shots, both of which miss.

Another man, identified as Anthony Huber, strikes Rittenhouse while still on the ground, with his skateboard and tries to obtain his rifle. Rittenhouse then shoots him once in the chest and he later dies. 

Again, as Rittenhouse is still on the ground with his rifle, another resident by the name of Gaige Grosskreutz, approaches him with what seems to be a gun. Rittenhouse fires one shot at Grosskreutz leaving him with an injury to his right arm.

Rittenhouse was arrested later that night and was charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, and failure to comply with an emergency order from state or local government. 

Rittenhouse had a trial that ran from November 1, 2021, to November 19, 2021. 

Of all the charges Rittenhouse was being charged with, you would expect one to believe that he won’t get off the hook with the gun charge, since he was in fact underage, but the judge throws out the gun charge.

Why was this?

Mark Richards and Corey Chirafisi, Rittenhouse’s attorneys said an exception in the law enables minors to own shotguns and rifles as long as they’re not short-barreled, meaning that the gun has to be longer than 16 inches. 

After “careful” deliberation, the predominately white jury decided that Rittenhouse be acquitted of all charges and should walk out of the courtroom as a free man.