MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin lawmakers from both sides of the aisle reacted quickly to a jury’s verdict early Friday afternoon acquitting Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges stemming from violent protests in Kenosha in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake last summer.
The jury found Rittenhouse, 18, not guilty on multiple charges after he fatally shot two men and wounded a third during the unrest. Prosecutors attempted to paint Rittenhouse as an instigator of the violence, while his attorneys said he acted in self-defense.
RELATED: Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all counts in Kenosha shootings
Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement calling for peace and unity following the verdict:
“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.
“Kenoshans are strong, resilient, and have spent the last year working every day together toward healing. This case and the resulting national spotlight on the Kenosha community and our state have undoubtedly reopened wounds that have not yet fully healed. I echo the calls of local Kenosha community leaders and join them in asking everyone who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights in any community to please only do so safely and peacefully. We must have peace in Kenosha and our communities, and any efforts or actions aimed at sowing division are unwelcome in our state as they will only hinder that healing.
“I’ve seen the pain and the frustration of so many, and we must remain steadfast in our commitment to ending violence in our communities, supporting victims and survivors as they heal from trauma, and rooting out the disparities that are so often inextricably linked to that violence and trauma. We must be unwavering 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.
“We must move forward, together, more united and more motivated to build the sort of future we want for our state—one that is just, one that is equitable, and one where every person has the resources and opportunity to thrive—and I will not stop working to achieve that vision.
Attorney General Josh Kaul also released a statement urging unity and condemning “vigilantism”:
“The residents of Kenosha have endured significant hardship over the course of more than a year, and they have worked hard to heal their community. It is imperative that everyone who wishes to make their voice heard about today’s verdict does so peacefully and respects the right of Kenosha residents to be safe and to continue healing.
“Let me be clear: I condemn vigilantism. It is dangerous and illegal, and it has no place in our communities. The actions of those attempting to take the law into their own hands only put the safety of law enforcement officers and communities in danger.
“We have work to do to make our communities more equitable and safer. We must work together to seek greater unity and not division, with hope and not fear, and we must be unwavering in our pursuit of equal justice under the law.”
In a statement, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is running for U.S. Senate, took aim at Judge Bruce Schroeder and what he called a standard of justice that, “is not always applied equally.”
“We have seen so many black and brown youth killed, only to be put on trial posthumously, while the innocence of Kyle Rittenhouse was virtually demanded by the judge,” Barnes said.
“This is another example of the difficult road to justice in America, and while we can easily view this as a setback, we have to turn this into a moment to push even harder by staying engaged, by organizing for justice, by holding our elected leaders accountable, and by registering our friends and neighbors to vote,” he continued.
President Joe Biden told reporters he “stand(s) by what the jury has concluded,” according to pool reports.
“The jury system works, and we have to abide by it,” he said.
In a subsequent statement, Biden reiterated his comments and called for peace.
“The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety,” he said.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson tweeted he believes “justice has been served” in the case.
“I hope everyone can accept the verdict, remain peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha heal and rebuild,” he added.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Rittenhouse “took the law into his own hands” and that she does not feel like justice was served in the case.
“The fact that some people are cheering a ruling that has allowed someone to take the law into his own hands and walk free from any accountability after shooting and killing two people is disrespectful to the lives that were lost, and I am deeply concerned that it will encourage more tragic gun violence from those like Kyle Rittenhouse who think they have a license to take the law into their own hands in a violent way,” she said.
Baldwin also said the ruling highlights a need for changes to the state’s gun laws.
“In Wisconsin, this judge has now ruled that it’s legal for a minor to walk the streets in Wisconsin with an assault weapon. If that is true, then our state legislature should take action now in a bipartisan way to change the law and make it illegal,” she said. “I am afraid many more people will become victims of gun violence unless we take action at the federal and state level to pass common sense gun safety reforms that take on this epidemic and start saving lives. To me that’s just common sense that most people in our state would agree with.”
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) tweeted, “it is wild to me that a teenager can cross state lines with an AR-15, murder two people in cold blood and call it self defense. The system didn’t serve justice and we need to work towards a day where murderers are punished for their crimes regardless of the color of their skin.”
State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said in a statement that, “Today’s unanimous verdict may be shocking for some, but for many others, it is proof that our justice system works. The right to a trial by a jury of your peers is a fundamental part of the checks and balances in our country.”
“Let’s hope politicians and activists who disagree with the verdict don’t use this as an opportunity to sew more division and destruction in our community,” he continued. “For those disappointed in the outcome, I urge peace and unity over violence and destruction.”
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, a Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, said in a statement, “It is outrageous that there will be no justice and no accountability for the deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, or for the shooting of Gaige Grosskreutz.”
“Last year, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets crying out for change, but our system still remains broken,” she continued. “Instead of justice, violent vigilantism has been protected, and in Washington, politicians have let the calls for change go unanswered.”
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, who is also running for Senate, said Rittenhouse’s acquittal “will encourage other misguided individuals fueled by extremist groups and media to perform similar acts.”
“The fact that Rittenhouse has become a hero to the extreme nationalists in our country is both disheartening and dangerous. This verdict will only empower them,” he continued. “Regardless of political beliefs, we, as Americans, cannot tolerate violent action by citizens against others exercising their right to assemble.”
Former lieutenant governor and current gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch tweeted “Our justice system worked today.”
“The prosecution in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial was a complete disgrace, praising the mob who burned our streets as ‘heroes,’” she added.
State Sen. Lena Taylor, a Milwaukee Democrat who is running for lieutenant governor, said the verdict “isn’t a victory for anyone.”
“Today isn’t a victory for personal freedom, the 2nd Amendment or any other political ‘dog whistle’ that some will trot out to explain what happened in Kenosha,” Taylor said in part. “Today is just sad.”
Taylor also said while Rittenhouse was acquitted, “his life will forever be under a microscope” and that “he will likely never be free of this horrific chapter of his life.”
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, in a statement, called the verdict “deeply disturbing.”
“Unfortunately, this will perpetuate distrust in the justice system and further normalize gun violence,” she said. “Allowing vigilantism to masquerade as self-defense is a terrible precedent.”
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Janesville) wrote in part that, “this trial made clear that when authorities fail to utilize appropriate resources to protect public safety, violence and destruction often follows. The destruction in Kenosha did not need to occur. The events covered in the trial were avoidable if proper steps were taken last summer to reestablish public safety.”
In response, State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) tweeted Steil’s assessment “couldn’t be more wrong,” adding that, “if Kyle Rittenhouse had not come across the state line and armed himself with a gun in some sort of a twisted vigilante hero fantasy, all of his victims would be alive today.”
State Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) said in a statement that Rittenhouse, “shot and killed two people, injured another, and wreaked havoc on a community in crisis with a deadly weapon.”
“It is clear that disparities and racism are rooted throughout our society and must be addressed,” Agard continued. “As Wisconsinites, we all need to double down to be a part of a larger solution that will ensure there is real systemic change.”
State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) called the verdict “disappointing, but sadly not unexpected.”
“Even if Mr. Rittenhouse was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to the fullest extent of the law, it would not undo the damage done to Kenosha or our nation,” Larson wrote. “Nothing can bring back the two people he killed. The deep divisions in our country highlighted by those who saw Mr. Rittenhouse as a hero vs. those who saw him as a monster cannot be healed overnight, but heal we must. It is my sincere belief that in justice, we will find peace. Justice was not served today and it’s on all of us to try and change the system so that this horrible situation isn’t allowed to repeat itself.”
State Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) called the verdict, “a green light for these types of people to instigate violence, only to use violence to escape accountability.”
“My thoughts are with the loved ones of Anthony Huber and JoJo Rosenbaum, who were killed by Kyle Rittenhouse on August 25, 2020. Both men should still be alive today,” Hintz said. “I urge all Wisconsinites to support continued healing for the people of Kenosha and to reimagine what true justice and safety look like in Wisconsin. Let us all work to transform this painful moment into a turning point in ensuring accountability in public safety, addressing systemic racism in our state, and prioritizing true justice and healing in Wisconsin.”
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) said in part that, “the outcome of this case is, unfortunately, reflective of what I see in my community every day regarding how people of color and their allies are treated.”
“Black children and men are treated as suspects and perpetrators while walking the streets – or simply playing in their yards,” she continued. “It is a damn shame that too often this leads to them paying with their lives. Our society and our justice system treats white individuals differently than it does our communities of color, and we cannot allow that to continue to happen.”
State Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) issued a statement asking the public to remain peaceful to avoid a repeat of the violence following Blake’s shooting.
“While many feel strong emotions on whether a seventeen-year-old should have been there protecting businesses the night of August 25, 2020, the jury has now affirmed that young man’s right to protect himself when found under lethal threat by rioters,” she wrote in part. “Kyle Rittenhouse has been found not guilty on all charges filed against him. Despite attempts at jury tampering and bringing forth inadmissible evidence, our justice system has prevailed.”
Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker tweeted, “All of us who knew what actually happened in Kenosha last year assumed this would be the verdict. Thankfully, the jury thought the same. Pray that the kind of violence seen then does not happen again. And pray for the jurors that they too might be safe from violence.”
WATCH BELOW: News 3 Now Special Report on Rittenhouse Acquittal
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