'Untouchable super citizens': Will the Rittenhouse verdict fuel vigilantism - or a needed step toward more freedom

The reaction to the Rittenhouse verdict has been as polarizing as the trial itself: Right-wing groups celebrating, the NRA declaring victory, and liberal leaders decrying the decision as a harbinger of lawless vigilantism and domestic terrorism.

The Rittenhouse case became a flashpoint on many of the most divisive issues across the country: the right to bear arms, police brutality, racial injustice and the rise of right-wing militia groups. The teen became a hero in Republican corners and a symbol to the left of the rise of white nationalism and armed militia groups.

Rittenhouse, 18, fatally shot two men and injured a third with an AR-15 styled rifle during often violent protests in the summer of 2020 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse argued he feared for his life and had no choice but to open fire on the men, who were among those protesting. During the trial, prosecutors painted Rittenhouse as a teen vigilante, who wasn't old enough to purchase the rifle he was carrying. They said he incited the shootings and traveled to the city with other during the protests specifically looking for trouble.

The case and not-guilty-on-all-counts verdict highlighted many of the divisions in the country, and the impact on gun rights and protests could be deep-rooted.

"Today’s Rittenhouse case highlights the deadly consequences of the 'shoot first, ask questions second' mentality," said Igor Volsky, co-founder of Guns Down America, a national group that advocates for stricter gun laws. He added on Twitter that the verdict "will only invite greater political violence at the hands of individuals who believe their guns transform them into untouchable super citizens."

On the flip side of the coin are gun-rights activists such as U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who says the verdict is an important victory for America.

Boebert, in a text to USA TODAY, said the "verdict is a win for self defense, a win for the Second Amendment, a win for blind justice and a win for common sense." She added, "if Kyle is looking for an internship, he should reach out."

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The number of armed protests across the country was already picking back up, researchers say. And activist groups and others say they worry the verdict could have an impact on one of the core rights enshrined in the Constitution — the right to assemble — with concerns ranging from more violence at protests to possible reductions in the number and size of demonstrations out of fears of armed groups.

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton said the verdict was an "obvious signal that encourages and notifies 'vigilantes' that they can continue to use violence to assert their power, and more importantly that they are above the criminal justice system when they do."

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Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a national civil rights nonprofit, said the verdict and Rittenhouse stood as a symbol of unequal justice.

"Rittenhouse is one person, but his actions are intrinsically tied to a web of white supremacist rhetoric and the nation’s longstanding history of anti-Black violence," Robinson said. "That’s why a single verdict does not make or break our movement: because it’s not just Rittenhouse who’s standing trial; it’s the whole system."

The legal ramifications could also offer a precedent for other cases. Christopher Slobogin, a law professor at Vanderbilt University said a verdict like this "makes protesting a more dangerous enterprise because it sends a message that aiming a gun at someone doesn’t necessarily constitute the kind of provocation that would undermine a self-defense defense."

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The notion of there being more armed individuals at protests is more likely to lead to violence, research shows. Armed protests are six times more likely to turn violent compared to protests where no guns are present, according to a study by the gun-control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety and researchers with the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The study analyzed more than 30,000 public demonstrations in the U.S. over an 18-month span from January 2020 to June 2021.

Roudabeh Kishi, the director of research and innovation at the ACLED, which tracks political violence and protest behavior around the world, noted guns play a violent role in protests even when they aren't fired.

"Oftentimes guns can can kind of play a role with just increasing tensions. They're used as intimidation and kind of makes a tense environment even more tense. And so sometimes we'll see other types of violence breakout, not necessarily always a shooting," she said. "So it's like an indirect way arms can actually contribute to violence and destruction."

Kishi noted the number of armed protests peaked in the summer of 2020 and that number plummeted significantly after the federal government took a strong stance against rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Those numbers, though, have started to rise in the months since.

She said they have been examining protests and violence in states that passed anti-protest bills, such as those that would protect drivers who hit protesters in the streets with their vehicles. She said there wasn't huge shifts in these states after such bills were passed compared to others without such legislation, signaling the impact from a major decision such as the Rittenhouse verdict might not be as sweeping as some fear.

She acknowledged, though, the "chilling effect" this could have on those wanting to demonstrate for change. The group will be monitoring any impacts.

"I can definitely see why this even further raises fears," Kishi said. "I don't know what the outcome of this will be, if it could be a drop off in protests or if it'll be a rise in people showing up armed to protest or what."

Right-wing groups call Rittenhouse 'hero we've been waiting for'

Even before Rittenhouse was found not guilty Friday, the teen had been offered internships in several Republican congressional offices — a nod to the symbol the Rittenhouse case played to conservatives and the far-right reaches of the party.

Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Boebert of Colorado all offered the teen internships. The four have been some of the most scrutinized members of the House of Representatives for their remarks on far-right extremism and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In fact, earlier this week, Gosar was censured for posting an anime video that showed him killing another member of Congress and the president.

Former President Donald Trump also chimed in, congratulating Rittenhouse and saying "If that’s not self defense, nothing is!"

The celebrations continued outside the courthouse and on social media.

Mark McCloskey and his wife – both of whom gained national attention after they waved guns at racial injustice protesters who were marching in their gated St. Louis subdivision last summer – applauded the jury and acquittal by joining those outside the courthouse in Wisconsin.

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"I think it's a great day for America. It's a great day for individual liberty. A great day for the Second Amendment," said McCloskey, who is now running for U.S. Senate in Missouri. "I could not be prouder of our American system of justice."

The NRA, the powerful gun lobby that has been at the center of some of the nation's most heated debates over weapons rights, similarly used the verdict as an example for their cause.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed," the group posted on Twitter after the verdict.

Almost instantly after the verdict, far-right groups online exploded in jubilation.

The secure messaging platform Telegram, which has become a repository for white supremacists and members of other extremist groups like the Proud Boys who have been kicked off mainstream social media platforms, erupted in praise.

A Telegram Channel for the Proud Boys with 31,500 subscribers set up a separate chat for people to celebrate the verdict. Dozens of users posted memes, including a gif of a man dressed in the American flag firing two rifles, one with each hand.

“God bless the 2nd Amendment” the caption read.

Another post, on a different Proud Boys Telegram channel, showed a photo of Rittenhouse in tears after the not-guilty verdicts were read. The caption read, "relax soldier, you've done your part."

On Gab, another social media site for those banned from mainstream platforms, the mood was just as upbeat.

“This much is true: Kyle Rittenhouse is the hero we’ve been waiting for,” was posted on the Gab profile for VDare, a far-right website that rails against immigration.

Contributing: Will Carless and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Rittenhouse not-guilty verdict is victory for some. A disaster for others.