Athlete reactions to Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty verdict by jury

Kyle Rittenhouse has been found not guilty.

A jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday found Rittenhouse not guilty of homicide and other charges. 

On Aug. 25, 2020, Rittenhouse shot at four men, killing two and wounding a third, with a semiautomatic rifle. Rittenhouse was in downtown Kenosha to protect a car dealership during unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

NBA after Kenosha: A timeline of basketball’s response to protests through Kyle Rittenhouse trial

Blake, a Black man, had been shot multiple times by Rusten Sheskey, a white police officer, in Kenosha, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Sheskey was ultimately not charged by state or federal prosecutors.

Rittenhouse, then a 17-year-old from Antioch, Ill., joined a group of other armed people in downtown Kenosha. He shot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber and Gaige Grosskreutz, the latter of whom survived. Rittenhouse turned himself in to police in Antioch on Aug. 26, and was extradited to Kenosha, where he was charged with the following: 

• First-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
• First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
• First-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
• Attempted first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon
• First-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon
• Possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18 (later dismissed)
• Failure to comply with an emergency order from state or local government (later dismissed)

Most of the incident was captured on video, and the subsequent trial became heavily polarized. The prosecution in the case argued that Rittenhouse provoked protesters before shooting at them, while the defense argued that Rittenhouse acted in self defense.

The Milwaukee Bucks are scheduled to play at home tonight at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The Bucks, who play 40 miles from Kenosha, were the first NBA team to boycott following the protests in the summer of 2020.

Following the verdict in the case that captured national attention, the sports world responded to the news that Rittenhouse was ruled not guilty.

Sporting News will continue to monitor and update news from around the sports world as it unfolds.