Kyle Rittenhouse Says His Case "Has Nothing To Do With Race"

A teenager acquitted of murder during racist unrest in the United States said his case had "nothing to do with race." "It's about the right to self-defense," Kyle Rittenhouse told Fox News, adding that he was a supporter of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

A jury acquitted the 18-year-old of killing two men and wounding a third person with a military rifle after accepting accusations that he feared for his life. A patriot to some and wary of others, his release divided the United States.

Much of the commentary in the American media about the case has centered on race, even though Rittenhouse is white, as are the three men she shot. "No black teenager who kills two people also  leaves one seriously injured will be treated, no matter what the Self-Defense Act says, like Rittenhouse. He will die," wrote Eddie C. Gloude Jr. at the Washington Post.

CNN commentator Van Jones said the decision sent a message to blacks that "there are two Americans." Rittenhouse told Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight that his case "never had anything to do with race."

He added: "I am not a racist. I support the BLM movement. I support peaceful demonstrations. I believe that there must be change." Rittenhouse said the arsonists who destroyed shops in Kenosha during last year's riots were "opportunists who took advantage of the BLM movement."

Americans respond to Kyle Rittenhouse's full release. "But I disagree that people have the right to burn; I don't respect people who burn American cities to try to get their message across. I think there are other ways to do that." Rittenhouse also said he believed that "not only in my case but in other cases there have been multiple violations by prosecutors.

"It's amazing to see how much prosecutors can benefit from someone." Armed with an AR-15 rifle, Rittenhouse shot dead Joseph Rosenbaum (36) and Anthony Huber (26) and wounded 27-year-old Gage Groskreutz, who testified that he opened fire in self-defense.

He faces five charges, including intentional manslaughter. Two nights before he showed up in Kenosha last year and said he wanted to protect businesses amid civil unrest, police shot gunman Jacob Blake in the back, paralyzing him. During last year's election campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden posted a video on Twitter that Rittenhouse did not appear to link to the evidence of white supporters.