by Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who fatally shot two Black Lives Matter protesters in Wisconsin in 2020, is releasing a book.
Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, died when Mr. Rittenhouse, then 17, fired an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle at them during a protest in Kenosha in 2020. Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, was also injured.
After the shootings, Mr. Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Mr Rittenhouse, now 20, has argued that he shot in self-defence after each of the men attacked him and in 2021, a jury acquitted him of several charges, including murder.
The shooting came during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.
His trial and acquittal were divisive, with prosecutors portraying him as an “unknown soldier” who had looked for trouble, while his supporters saw him as a patriot who took a stand against lawlessness.
Now, the 20-year-old is set to publish a book titled He was acquittedwhich he has described as “a story of survival, resilience and justice”.
(AP)
“Pre-order my new book today!” he posted to his 260,000 Instagram followers on Nov. 20. “Two years ago today, indicted on wrongful charges, I heard ‘NOT GUILTY' five times from a jury of my peers who heard the facts,” he added to X.
“My case has divided the nation into rival sides fueled by emotions, politics and misconceptions driven by media and political figures. Today, I want you to know the truth and know the real and honest version of my story – without filters or agendas,” she said.
His spokesman previously said Newsweek The book aims to “convey positive messages” about being thrust into the national spotlight after the shooting and subsequent court case.
The spokesperson added that the book is about “one young man's very unorthodox journey into adulthood, what it took to do it and the lessons he learned along the way.”
After his acquittal, Mr. Rittenhouse appeared in interviews on Fox News where he criticized the media and politicians, including President Joe Biden.
He has also received a hero's welcome at conservative conferences such as Turning Point USA.
Earlier this year, he joined gun rights activists in opposing a Texas bill that sought to raise the minimum age to purchase semiautomatic weapons from 18 to 21, in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting a year earlier.
Meanwhile, John Huber, whose son Anthony was shot by Mr. Rittenhouse, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the 20-year-old, Kenosha city officials and its police, accusing them of violating his son's constitutional rights.
Mr. Rittenhouse has raised $250,000 in donations for a legal defense fund to fight the lawsuit.
Joseph Rosenbaum's estate also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mr. Rittenhouse in August of this year for “compensation and punitive damages.”
There is currently no release date for Mr Rittenhouse's book, but it is available for pre-order on his website.
