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  • Writer's pictureNehir
    • Apr 26, 2022
    • 3 min read

Kyle Rittenhouse Acquittal

Updated: Aug 22, 2022

If you have been following the news for the past couple of months, you probably have heard of the Kyle Howard Rittenhouse case. For those that do not know about the event, Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with five felonies after a shooting, killing two people and wounding one person. This happened during protests last summer in Wisconsin, USA. During his trials, there were two perspectives, one of which supported the claim that he was using the gun as self defense, and the other one supporting the claim that he is an active shooter. But before getting into the specific details, here is a brief summary regarding Rittenhouse:



source: https://www.wpr.org/sites/default/files/ap21320559738097.jpg

  • He participated in cadet programs with the fire department and police.

  • He then later dropped out of high school.

  • His Facebook profile included a picture of him with a label that wrote “Blue Lives Matter” which is a police movement frequently criticised by “Black Lives Matter'' supporters.

  • He has a passion for guns.

  • He once worked as a lifeguard after dropping out of school.


Different Perspectives and Narratives

During his testimony, Rittenhouse stated that he was being attacked and was being chased by a huge crowd of people making himself come into a defensive state, causing him to kill two people. In addition, he also showed with his facial expressions and feelings in the trial that he himself was not mentally stable during the protests which was also stated as another reason for him feeling pressured and committing a crime. Furthermore, he also mentioned in an interview before the night of the shooting that defending and protecting people is a part of his job which was used as a way of showing why he was armed. His testimony played a crucial role in the trial. It was used by Rittenhouse to show that he was defending rather than attacking and it was his main reason for shooting. Therefore, the judge and the juries observed the situation from Rittenhouse’s perspective without hindsight but with specific reasons for the action.

The other perspective claimed that he was an active shooter. However, this idea may have relied on too many judgements from Rittenhouse supporters, as not enough evidence was collected in order to prove this point of view resulting in Rittenhouse ending in acquittal.


During these times in which frequent gun use in the USA is despised because of the increasing crime rates and violence, the Rittenhouse trial grabbed the attention of the world because of how it ended. A lot of people perceived this action of Rittenhouse as a racist movement and the decision of the commissioner as a racist and biased decision. But the critical part is that a person who murdered 2 people and wounded one person got rid of all the charges against him and he is now living his normal life. What does this show about the justice system? Can we trust it anymore? People are dying and charges are decreasing as the days pass by and people are questioning if justice is still valid.



source: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/world-website-storage/wng-prod/_1500x937_crop_center-center_82_line/AP21335747398713.jpg


Gun related crimes are in high increase and so are school shootings. 4 students passed away on the 30th of November in Oxford Michigan High School: two 17 year olds, one 16 year old and one 14 year old. As these keep happening, people keep questioning about justice. At so she CAN, we send condolences to the families of those that passed away.


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Written by Nehir Altinkaya

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