Kyle Rittenhouse, freshly acquitted on homicide charges that could have landed him in prison, wants to “get on with his life,” according to his lawyer.
Mark Richards, who successfully argued that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense on Aug. 25, 2020, when he shot three men, two fatally, during widespread rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said his client is thrilled at the prospect of freedom.
“He wants to get on with his life,” Richards said shortly after the verdict. “He has a huge sense of relief for what the jury did to him today. He wishes none of this would have ever happened.”
The charges that Rittenhouse, a youth cadet from Antioch, Illinois, faced ranged from intentional homicide to recklessly endangering safety and, if found guilty, could have landed him behind bars for the rest of his life. Rittenhouse said he didn’t want to kill the two victims and injure a third but argued he was forced to defend himself.
RITTENHOUSE NOT GUILTY ON ALL FIVE CRIMINAL CHARGES
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger, the lead prosecutor against Rittenhouse, also spoke after a three-week trial in which he was often scolded by Judge Bruce Schroeder.
“The jury has represented our community in this trial and has spoken,” Binger said. “We are grateful to the members of the jury for their diligent and thoughtful deliberations. The Kenosha community has endured much over the past 15 months, and yet, we remain resilient and strong. We ask that members of our community continue to express their opinions and feelings about this verdict in a civil and peaceful manner.”
David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, said the 18-year-old plans to become a nurse and has great potential.
“I think you’re going to see some good things that come out of Kyle in the future,” Hancock said. “He’s a very, very pragmatic young man who’s been through a lot. He is innocent, and he can live a free life now. There are no winners in this.”
Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, after the pair made violent advances while the then-17-year-old was carrying an AR-15-style rifle. Gaige Grosskreutz, 28, was also shot in the arm after he pointed a gun at Rittenhouse and testified against the defendant during the weekslong trial.
Schroeder, who was subject to criticism by some media pundits for alleged bias during the 14-day trial, lauded the jury and said he “couldn’t have asked for a better jury to work with.”
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“Without commenting on the verdicts themselves, just in terms of your attentiveness and cooperation that you gave to us, justifies the confidence that the founders of our country placed,” Schroeder said.
