Justice has been done in the Kyle Rittenhouse case

Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted of all charges brought against him for the shooting of two men who pursued him and threatened his person during the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots of 2020. Though it was clear from the trial that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, the verdict was far from certain. So it is encouraging to see that the jury saw what the rest of the country did — that Rittenhouse wasn’t a murderer, but a young man who did what he had to do.

On all counts, which included first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree intentional homicide, and first-degree reckless endangerment, the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty.

He was probably helped by the state’s flailing prosecutors, who undermined their own case against him every step of the way. But the very facts of the case, once laid out, proved false the prosecution’s narrative that Rittenhouse was a vindictive killer, out for blood the night of the shootings. The prosecution’s own witnesses testified that the men Rittenhouse shot chased him down and attacked or threatened him physically. Gaige Grosskreutz, who was shot in the bicep by Rittenhouse, admitted on the stand that Rittenhouse only fired his weapon after Grosskreutz leaped to take it from him.

It is fair to argue that Rittenhouse should never have been in Kenosha that night. But his foolish decision was not an illegal one. Whether he acted irresponsibly has nothing to do with the fact that he had the right to defend himself against a legitimate threat.

It’s good for both Rittenhouse and for the justice system that the jury agreed.