Kenosha Braces For Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict As Jury Deliberations Begin

The city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is bracing itself Tuesday as the 12 jurors in Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial began deliberations.

Gov. Tony Evers is sending 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops to Kenosha to be on standby pending the jury’s verdict. Protesters, some seen with megaphones, have gathered outside the Kenosha County Courthouse.

The trial has generated national attention. Rittenhouse stands accused of the first-degree intentional homicide of Anthony Huber, first-degree reckless homicide of Joseph Rosenbaum, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, the only survivor. Rittenhouse is also charged with endangering safety.

The shootings took place in August 2020 amid unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.

Lawyers for Rittenhouse claimed he acted in self-defense during protests. Seventeen at the time, Rittenhouse was a part of a group that meant to protect private property from potentially violent protesters. The prosecution argued that Rittenhouse arrived in Kenosha from Illinois as a vigilante intending to cause trouble and used unreasonable deadly force outside of what would be necessary for defense.

The jury consists of seven women and five men.

Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder allowed Rittenhouse to pick randomly the six jurors from a raffle drum who will serve as alternates. Julius Kim, a former Milwaukee County assistant district attorney, told the Associated Press that the move is unusual but not out of bounds.