Jury begins deliberations in Rittenhouse trial

The jury in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse began deliberations on Tuesday on the murder and other felony charges the 18-year-old is facing after fatally shooting two protesters and wounding another in Kenosha, Wis., last year.

Twelve jurors left the courtroom on Tuesday to discuss the charges against Rittenhouse after 10 days of trial proceedings, which featured testimony from expert and first-hand witnesses in addition to the defendant himself.

Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and two counts of reckless endangerment.

He was initially also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor, but that count was dropped on Monday.

Judge Bruce Schroeder on Monday said it was unclear if the rifle Rittenhouse was wielding at the time of his alleged crimes qualified under the Wisconsin statute for the charge. Prosecutors opted not press their case on the single misdemeanor count.

Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, during protests that broke out last year in the aftermath of the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man.

He also shot and injured Gaige Grosskreutz, then 26.

The defense has argued that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense when he fired his weapon that night. The jury is now tasked with deciding if his actions were justified.

“Alright folks, you can retire to consider your verdicts,” Schroeder told the jurors after they took an oath.