The homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse resumed on Tuesday morning with the defendant picking the names of the 12 jurors who will decide his fate.
The pool of 18 jurors who heard two weeks of testimony was narrowed down to a dozen via a random lottery-style raffle.
Mr Rittenhouse, 18, is facing five felony charges for shooting three men during a night of protests and riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on 25 August 2020. The most serious charges are first-degree homicide for the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber.
Both sides delivered closing arguments on Monday, in which the prosecution condemned Mr Rittenhouse for “bringing a gun to a fistfight”.
Prosecutor Thomas Binger began his closing argument by branding Mr Rittenhouse “the only killer” on the night in question and dismissed the self-defence argument, saying: “You cannot claim self-defence against a danger you create.”
In closing for the defence, attorney Mark Richards accused Mr Binger of “lying” and told the jury: “This case is not a game. This is my client’s life.”
The city of Kenosha is bracing for unrest in the wake of the verdict, with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers putting 500 National Guard troops on standby.
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