Rittenhouse verdict comes amid a fraught gun landscape
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press
The upcoming verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial for shooting three men during street unrest in Wisconsin comes against a backdrop of deep political divisions and expanded access to guns in the United States – factors that some fear could lead to more dangerous encounters. Everytown for Gun Safety says an acquittal could send the message that coming armed to a heated situation and pulling the trigger doesn’t bring serious consequences in an era of loosening gun laws. The pro-gun-rights Second Amendment Foundation blames the heated political atmosphere while legal experts say the case points to inadequacies in self-defense law at a time of easy access to powerful weapons.
