After more than three days of deliberations, a jury found Rittenhouse not guilty, and he fell to the floor and embraced one of his attorneys. The judge thanked the jury at the end of the trial, after he was scrutinized during the trial.
President Joe Biden visited the area in September of last year just weeks after the incident that left a man paralyzed below the waist.
Donald Trump toured the city to survey the damage done during the protests that followed the shooting. Despite objections from state and local officials in Wisconsin, Trump traveled to Kenosha to demonstrate his law-and-order image.
The former president was criticized for not meeting with the family of the man, but instead spent time with law enforcement and local businesses.
Trump and other conservatives came to defend Rittenhouse and his claims of self-defense, turning the teen into a symbol of the ongoing culture war that has only compounded this year. Team Trump used the news as a chance to raise money, sending out a text that said "We must restore order!"
The congressman who was censured by the House this week over a social media post asked if Rittenhouse should receive a Congressional Medal of Honor. "Yes" and "yes again" were the responses to the poll.
Gaetz suggested that Rittenhouse be hired as a congressional intern.
Gaetz said in an interview that Kyle Rittenhouse would be a good intern. We might reach out to him to see if he's interested in helping the country.
As Biden works to direct voters' attention to his legislative agenda and as the president's approval ratings sit at a low-point in his first year in the White House, Friday's verdict comes. Biden faces the prospect of wading into a volatile situation involving race, guns, policing and criminal justice.
The White House has not commented on the Rittenhouse shooting while the trial is going on for fear of influencing the outcome. The president told reporters he accepted the verdict.
The jury has to make a decision. The jury system works and we have to follow it.
The White House released a statement from Biden furthering those comments, while acknowledging that the verdict will leave many Americans angry and concerned.
"I know that we're not going to heal our country's wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law," Biden said.
The verdict was addressed by the Vice President in a press gaggle before she boarded Air Force 2.
She said the verdict speaks for itself. I've spent most of my career working to make the criminal justice system more equitable. There's a lot more work to be done.
The jury's verdict was blasted by the Congressional Black Caucus.
The ludicrous claim of self-defense is on par with the behavior of the prosecution and the judge. It's time for accountability. It's time for criminal justice reform and it's time for gun reform.
Tony Evers has ordered the National Guard to be put on stand-by around Kenosha in case of a Rittenhouse verdict. On Friday, Evers urged demonstrators to peacefully protest the verdict.
He said that any efforts to sow division in the state will only hinder healing.
"We must be steadfast in our promise to build a state where every kid, person, and family can live their life free of violence and have every chance to be successful."
