A jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, on Friday on all charges relating to his fatal shooting of two men and wounding of a third during last year's tumultuous racial justice protests in Wisconsin, determining the teenager had acted in self-defense.
The following are reactions to the verdict:
President Joe Biden
"While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. 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."
TONY EVERS, GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN
"No verdict will be able to bring back the lives of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, or heal Gaige Grosskreutz's injuries, just as no verdict can heal the wounds or trauma experienced by Jacob Blake and his family. No ruling today changes our reality in Wisconsin that we have work to do toward equity, accountability, and justice that communities across our state are demanding and deserve."
KAREN BLOOM AND JOHN HUBER, ANTHONY HUBER'S FAMILY
"Today's verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son. It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street. We hope that decent people will join us in forcefully rejecting that message and demanding more of our laws, our officials, and our justice system."
DAVID HANCOCK, RITTENHOUSE FAMILY SPOKESPERSON
"We are all so very happy that Kyle can live his life as a free and innocent man, but in this whole situation there are no winners, there are two people who lost their lives and that's not lost on us at all."
MICHAEL GRAVELEY, KENOSHA COUNTY DA
"We respect the jury verdict based on three and a half days of careful deliberations. Certainly, issues regarding the privilege of self-defense remain highly contentious in our current times. We ask that all members of the public accept the verdicts peacefully and not resort to violence."
DERRICK JOHNSON, NAACP PRESIDENT AND CEO
"The verdict in the #KyleRittenhouseTrial is a reminder of the treacherous role that white supremacy and privilege play within our justice system."
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
JUMAANE WILLIAMS, DEMOCRATIC POLITICIAN
"What's the value of white tears (not even that many) in this country? Clearly more than Black lives and those who fight for them. Maybe close to the value America puts on guns, depending on whose hands they're in."
MADISON CAWTHORN, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM NORTH CAROLINA
"Kyle Rittenhouse is not guilty my friends. You have a right to defend yourselves. Be armed, be dangerous and be moral."
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
"These continue to be dark days for black people killed at the hands of people that believe our lives do not matter. This verdict was not only outrageous and dangerous, it was also an obvious signal that encourages and notifies 'vigilantes' that they can continue to use violence to assert their power, and more importantly that they are above the criminal justice system when they do."
RON JOHNSON, U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN
"I believe justice has been served in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. I hope everyone can accept the verdict, remain peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha heal and rebuild."
BEN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER
"The Rittenhouse case has pulled back the curtain on profound cracks in our justice system - from deep bias routinely and unabashedly displayed by the judge, to apathy of officers who witnessed Rittenhouse's actions and did nothing."
BLACK VOTERS MATTER GROUP
"Disappointed but not surprised. This is not justice. This is not accountability. However, this is America."
