Kyle Rittenhouse wants people to know he's not racist and supports the Black Lives Matter movement.
The teenager was recently cleared of all charges against him after he shot dead two people and injured another during a BLM protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year.
There has been a lot said since the jury delivered their verdict last week (November 19), however the 18-year-old has tried to clear up the speculation about his political beliefs.
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A snippet of his interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson has dropped online and it shows Rittenhouse declaring he's not racist.
"This case has nothing to do with race," he said. "It never had anything to do with race. It had to do with the right to self-defense.
"I'm not a racist person. I support the BLM movement. I support peacefully demonstrating.
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"I believe there needs to be change. I believe there's a lot of prosecutorial misconduct, not just in my case but in other cases. It's just amazing to see how much a prosecutor can take advantage of someone."
While he might support Black Lives Matter, the American-wing of the movement does not support Rittenhouse.
"Today's not-guilty verdict is expected when white supremacy lives and breathes within our institutions. It is a reminder of how our legal systems are deeply rooted in white supremacy," the group said in a statement.
"What this verdict reminds us of is that this is a nation deeply rooted and still very committed to white supremacy, and we must continue to fight against it.
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"What sparked this movement over 8 years ago in the acquittal of George Zimmerman is the same vigilante, state-sanctioned violence that we saw in Kenosha. Let this be a reminder that the system is working exactly the way it has been intended to."
Rittenhouse's legal team successfully argued during his trial that he was acting in self-defence when he shot the protestors in August 2020.
He shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded volunteer medic Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, who testified against him.
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The teen travelled across state lines because he said he wanted to protect the businesses that were being damaged during the demonstrations that were sparked after a white police officer shot black man Jacob Blake.
He said he was forced to shoot several protestors because he was worried they would take his assault rifle and use it against him.
Following a three-week trial and three days of deliberation, the 12-person jury found the teenager not guilty on all counts.
Featured Image Credit: Mark Hertzberg/Pool via REUTERSTopics: Black Lives Matter, News, Kyle Rittenhouse
