US President Joe Biden has appealed for calm after being left at 'angry' at a verdict which saw a teenager who shot two men dead walk free from court.
Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, was acquitted of all charges by a jury after pleading self-defence during his trial over the deadly shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The teenager killed two men and wounded a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a night of anti-racism and police brutality protests in August 2020.
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The court heard how Rittenhouse, at the age of 17, travelled from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha after unrest broke out over the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer.
The teenager said he went to join other armed citizens in an effort to protect property and provide medical aid.
Bystander and drone video captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed.
Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then shot protester Anthony Huber, 26. He also wounded demonstrator Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.
Prosecutors said Rittenhouse was a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by pointing his rifle at demonstrators.
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But Rittenhouse testified: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself', telling the jury that he opened fire after Mr Rosenbaum chased him and made a grab for his gun.
He said he was afraid his rifle was going to be wrestled away and used to kill him.
Mr Huber was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Mr Grosskreutz was shot after pointing a gun of his own at Rittenhouse.
Rittenhouse was charged with two counts of intentional homicide, one count of attempted homicide and two counts of recklessly endangering safety - and faced life in prison if found guilty of the most serious charge of homicide.
After close to three-and-a-half days of deliberation, the jury acquitted the 18-year-old of all five charges against him.
The verdict has further fuelled the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.
While some condemned Rittenhouse as a vigilante, others praised him for trying to end the unrest by exercising his Second Amendment gun rights.
Mr Biden said in a statement following the teenager's acquittal: “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.
"I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because 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."
He went on to urge Americans to "express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law".
“Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy," he added.
Donald Trump, former president, said at the time of the attacks that it appeared Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked”.
His supporters donated more than two million dollars toward Rittenhouse's legal defence.
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