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 after Mr Rittenhouse, then 17 years old, fired a semi-automatic AR-15-style assault 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 intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and two charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Mr Rittenhouse, now 20, has argued he fired in self-defence after each of the men attacked him, and in 2021, a jury acquitted him of multiple charges, including homicide.
The shooting occurred 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 a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble, while his supporters regarded him as a patriot who took a stand against lawlessness.
Now, the 20-year-old is set to publish a book, titled Acquitted, which he has described as a “story of survival, resilience, and justice.”
Kyle Rittenhouse— (AP)
“Pre order my new book today!” he posted to his 260,000 Instagram followers on 20 November. “Two years ago today, accused of unjust charges, I heard ‘NOT GUILTY’ five times over from a jury of my peers who heard the facts,” he added on X.
“My case split the nation into opposing sides fueled by emotions, politics, and misconceptions driven by media and political figures. Today, I want you to learn the truth, and know the real and honest version of my story - without filters or an agenda,” he said.
His spokesperson previously told Newsweek the book aims to “convey positive messages” about being thrust into the national spotlight following the shooting and the subsequent court case.
The spokesperson added that the book is about “a young man’s very unorthodox journey into adulthood, what it took to make it, and the lessons he learned along the way.”
Since his acquittal, Mr Rittenhouse has appeared for interviews on Fox News where he slammed 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 state house bill that sought to raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21, in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting a year earlier.
Meanwhile, John Huber, whose son Anthony was shot dead by Mr Rittenhouse, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the 20-year-old, Kenosha city officials and its police force accusing them of violating his son’s constitutional rights.
Mr Rittenhouse has raised $250,000 in donations for a legal defence fund to fight the lawsuit.
The estate of Joseph Rosenbaum also filed a wrongful death case against Mr Rittenhouse in August of this year for “compensatory and punitive damages.”
There is currently no release date for Mr Rittenhouse’s book, but it is available to pre-order on his website.
