Former Antioch resident Kyle Rittenhouse spoke out for the first time after the verdict in his homicide trial, saying “self-defense is not illegal.”
In a clip published to Twitter Friday evening, Rittenhouse was asked how he felt following the jury’s verdict.
“The jury reached the correct verdict. Self-defense is not illegal. I believe they came to the correct verdict and I’m glad everything went well,” Rittenhouse said.
“It’s been a rough journey but we made it through it. We made it through the hard part,” he added.
The video was taken by a film crew working for Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The footage is part of a documentary that is scheduled to air in December.
Rittenhouse will be interviewed by Carlson on his show at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Fox News announced.
Rittenhouse’s lead attorney in the case, Mark Richards, said in a press conference that he never had a jury take as long the jury in Rittenhouse’s case took to deliberate, but Richards said he believes the jury took the case very seriously.
The jury returned their verdict around 12 p.m. Friday, acquitting Rittenhouse on all charges following approximately 25 hours of deliberations.
Rittenhouse trembled and broke down in tears while the verdict was being read. He then dropped down to a desk after he appeared to be overcome by emotion.
The trial came to a close 18 days after it started on November 1.
Rittenhouse, 18, who previously lived in Antioch, had faced charges of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
Rittenhouse originally faced seven different charges, but Kenosha County Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed two of them before the jury began deliberations.
One of the dismissals came Monday morning when Rittenhouse’s defense team requested Schroeder dismiss count 6, possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
Prosecutors objected to the request and Schroeder granted the dismissal of the charge due to state law that says people ages 16 and 17 can carry long-barreled rifles, but not short-barreled rifles.
Earlier in the trial, Schroeder dismissed Rittenhouse’s count 7, failure to comply with an emergency management order.
Prosecutors and the defense finished closing arguments Monday evening.
Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger had painted Rittenhouse as a “fraud” and “active shooter.”
Binger argued Rittenhouse provoked the shootings by threatening others.
“If you’re the one who’s threatening others, you lose the right to claim self-defense,” Binger said during closing arguments.
Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, on August 25, 2020, near 63rd Street and Sheridan Road in Kenosha during civil unrest sparked by the Jacob Blake police-involved shooting.
Rittenhouse also shot Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a handgun, on the night of August 25, 2020.
Richards said Rittenhouse acted in self-defense against a “mob.”
“Every person who was shot was attacking Kyle. One with a skateboard, one with his hands, one with his feet, one with his gun,” Richards said at trial.