Arizona Reacts To Rittenhouse Not Guilty Verdict

PHOENIX, AZ — Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in deadly shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse shot and killed two men and injured another during a protest of a police shooting in Kenosha in August 2020. He was 17 years old at the time.

A family spokesperson told reporters that Rittenhouse's next move will be to attend college. He's currently enrolled online at Arizona State University as a non-degree seeking nursing student.

The reactions from Arizonans on opposite sides of the political spectrum could not be further apart. They ranged from a celebration of second amendment rights and calls for monuments to be erected in Rittenhouse's honor from those on the right, to sadness at what they saw as an unfair verdict and despair from the left.

"Start building statues to Kyle Rittenhouse and learn from him how to properly use the 2nd Amendment for self defense," Arizona State Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers said in a tweet shortly after the not guilty verdict was announced.

Rogers represents District 6, which covers portions of Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo and Gila counties.

Katie Hobbs, who is running for Arizona Governor in 2022 as a Democrat and is currently the Secretary of State, tweeted that she was, "deeply saddened by this injustice," and promised to work toward transparency and accountability in the Arizona justice system.

"The jury's verdict of Kyle Rittenhouse's malicious murder reminds us once again that there are two systems of justice," Hobbs said in another tweet. "This only leaves an invitation for violence for white supremists (sic)."

Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives Jacqueline Parker said on twitter that the not guilty verdict was the only acceptable outcome of the trial under the United States Constitution.

"Thank you to the jury who overcame all the woke mob pressure (lead by Biden) to strangle more of our civil rights!" she wrote in the tweet.

This was the only acceptable outcome in a free nation under the US Constitution. Thank you to the jury who overcame all the woke mob pressure (lead by Biden) to strangle more of our civil rights! #RittenhouseVerdict #2ndAmendment https://t.co/RsXLAK4egK

— Jacqueline Parker (@electjacqparker) November" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/electjacqp... 19, 2021

Parker represents District 16, in southeastern Maricopa County.

U.S. Congressman from Arizona, Paul Gosar, tweeted that Rittenhouse would be welcome in Arizona if he decides to attend ASU in person. The U.S. House censured Gosar earlier this week for posting an anime video that showed him killing Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and assaulting President Joe Biden.

U.S. Rep. from Arizona Ruben Gallego tweeted that he was, "appalled by this ruling, and yet sadly, not surprised."