US: Protesters wait for verdict in Rittenhouse trial

Jurors in the case against teen shooter Kyle Rittenhouse  entered the second day of deliberation on Wednesday, as the US awaits the outcome of the highly publicized murder trial.

The case, which deals with the killing of two men during an anti-racist protest in the Wisconsin city of Kenosha last August, feeds into the emotionally charged discussions in America on race, as well as gun rights.

The defendant was 17 at the time of the incident. He was charged with shooting and killing Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as injuring Gaige Grosskreutz, 28. All four are white.

Small crowds of protesters had gathered outside the courthouse on Wednesday, some siding with the defendant in his claim that he was acting in self-defense while others called for his conviction and for racial justice in general.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said last week that he had readied 500 members of the National Guard in case of riots in the city following the verdict. Kenosha police said on Tuesday that they saw no need to impose a curfew or close roads but acknowledged "the anxiety surrounding the Rittenhouse trial."

What are the most recent updates from the trial?

The jury on Wednesday asked about viewing footage related to the case, indicating it was still weighing evidence on its second day of deliberations on whether to convict or acquit Rittenhouse.

Rittenhouse could face life imprisonment if found guilty of first-degree murder charges. He was initially charged with a misdemeanor of underage possession — but the judge dismissed the count.

The prosecution on Monday said in their closing statement that Rittenhouse was a "wannabe soldier" who triggered the deadly series of events by bringing his weapon to a protest.

The defense said that Rittenhouse had been ambushed by a "crazy person" — Rosenbaum.

The 12 jurors were unable to come to a unanimous verdict after eight hours of deliberation on Tuesday. Judge Bruce Schroeder accepted their request to end deliberations and called them back to start again on Wednesday at 9 a.m. local time (1500 GMT/UTC).

Why is the trial important?

The trial has been keenly followed by many in the US and has polarized sections of the population.

The murders occurred during protests — which also included rioting, looting and arson — after police shot and paralyzed a Black man, Jacob Blake.

The protests also came in the wake of the large-scale protests against police brutality and racism that were triggered by the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by then-officer Derek Chauvin. He was sentenced to 22.5 years in June.

Rittenhouse showed up at the Kenosha rally with an AR-15-style semi-automatic weapon and a medic bag, saying that he had intended to protect private property from rioters. He claimed that he shot the three men in self-defense.

Prosecutors described the defendant as a vigilante and said he had gone to the protest with the intent of using his weapon.

ab/dj (Reuters, AP)