Joe Biden left angered after teenager Kyle Rittenhouse cleared of all charges for killing two during racial justice protests
Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty by the 12-person jury yesterday. Photo: Sean Krajacic/REUTERS.
Joe Biden has said he was left angered after a teenager was cleared of all charges for killing two men during racial justice protests in Wisconsin last year.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of first-degree murder and four other charges on Friday night after he fatally shot two people and injured another during demonstrations in Kenosha.
In a statement, President Biden has now acknowledged the verdict “will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included.” He added that everyone “must acknowledge that the jury has spoken”.
He said that he “ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.”
“I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law,” the statement reads.
A jury determined that Rittenhouse had acted in self-defence and found him not guilty of two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety.
