A jury on Friday found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on charges related to his shooting dead two people at an anti-racism protest and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, after a tumultuous trial that gripped America.

Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, when he shot them with an assault rifle as he roamed the streets of Kenosha with other self-described militia during protests in August 2020, after a white police officer shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back.

The trial was seen as a test case for the US, as it seemed to illustrate the very different attitudes of law enforcement when confronted with armed white militia groups or anti-racism protests such as Black Lives Matter.

Rittenhouse quickly became a cause celebre for some conservatives, who raised money for his legal fees and sought to portray him as someone who stood up to rioters.

The judge in the case, Bruce Schroeder, also became a source of controversy with a bombastic style, outrageous comments during the trial and attitudes some observers said betrayed sympathy with the defense.