By: Teresa Mull

The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial just announced its verdict: not guilty on all counts.

Kyle Rittenhouse is a 17-year-old who was been charged with murder resulting from participation in a riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The National Foundation for Gun Rights (NFGR), which has stood by Kyle from the start and raised $50,000 for his defense fund, reiterated to supporters what happened that fateful night:

On August 25th, Kyle was in Kenosha, WI helping defend honest Americans and their businesses as they were under threat from rioters and violent thugs.

Right now, entire businesses are literally being burned, with people forced to flee in fear for their lives.

Vicious rioters in the streets have shown NO MERCY to innocent bystanders — armed with Molotov cocktails, batons, and an assortment of weapons.

While protecting businesses and fellow Americans, Kyle used his AR-15 to defend himself from aggressive, violent thugs!

The trial itself was a spectacle, consisting of yelling judges, threats of a mistrial, and an emotional defendant.

Rittenhouse’s testimony last Wednesday was closely watched and was temporarily halted after an emotional breakdown while he described the incidents of the fateful night. Rittenhouse’s unexpected emotional moment punctuated the otherwise very serious, largely emotionless tone of the trial.

Prior to Rittenhouse’s testimony, the prosecution had an unexpected moment when the prosecution’s star witness, Gaige Grosskreutz, the only surviving person shot by Rittenhouse, inadvertently admitted that he was shot in self-defense:

Defense: “When you were standing, three to five feet from him, with your arms up in the air, [Rittenhouse] never fired. Right?”

Grosskreutz: “Correct.”

Defense: “It wasn’t until you pointed your gun at him, advanced on him with your gun, now your hands down, pointed at him, that he fired. Right?”

Grosskreutz: “Correct.”

Another memorable moment of the trial came when Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Thomas Binger disregarded every gun safety rule there is by shouldering a gun and pointing it around a court full of people with his finger on the trigger and the action closed.

None of this matters now, however, as patriots like you stood by Kyle’s defense as he proved self-defense and innocence.

Teresa Mull ([email protected]) is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.