INDIANAPOLIS—Today the trial for Kyle Rittenhouse came to an end when Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges related to his 2020 shooting of three people—which left two of the victims dead. Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Eddie Melton (D-Gary) released the following statement on the verdict:

“My prayers go out to Gaige Grosskreutz as well as the families of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber who received no justice today.

“It’s truly a disappointment to see our nation’s criminal justice system consistently fail to hold certain groups and individuals accountable when they commit acts of violence, including a double murder,” Sen. Melton said. “The ‘not guilty’ verdict that Kyle Rittenhouse received was disheartening but not shocking.

“If a Black teen had crossed state lines with a weapon he was not legally allowed to have—to “protect property” that wasn’t his—shot at and hit people, and then approached police while armed, there would not have been a trial. That teen would have been shot by police in the street.

“For Kyle Rittenhouse to face no accountability for a litany of crimes is not justice. This verdict speaks volumes about who we are as a nation and clearly illustrates that we still have a long way to go before we see the justice and equality we deserve in our criminal justice system.

“We can and must do better as a nation when it comes to holding guilty parties responsible, especially in cases where lives are lost. I hope to advance legislation next year to further address some of the pervasive issues in our state’s criminal justice system, and I urge my  colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support my efforts as I prepare to rollout my legislative agenda. In our state and country, we must remain active in the fight to combat injustice and inequality in our judicial system.”