I was born in Europe in the 80's and grew up there. I've spent a total of 1 month in the USA.
I wasn't following the Rittenhouse trial until I heard the verdict, and then I was like "wait... what happened there?".
A person holding an assault rifle is a very alien sight to most Europeans. One time when I was about 10 years old, I went on a school tour to Northern Ireland, which was still going through a civil war, and that was the only time I ever saw an army soldier standing out on a street holding an assault rifle.
So anyway I heard that Rittenhouse attended a riot with an assault rifle and shot 3 people, killing 2. Straight away this sounded to me like this guy must be found guilty.
Then I saw footage on YouTube of the police rolling up to Rittenhouse and his friends, asking them if they had come out to protect the buildings. Police thanked them for their help and offered them water to drink.
If a group of men not employed by the state (i.e. not police, not military) are allowed to walk around the streets at night time holding assault rifles saying they're protecting buildings from looters... well that certainly introduces a new social dynamic. Especially if the cops don't even ask them their names or where they're from, or ask to see some ID.
I mean if you're allowed to walk around with an AR15 at night time with your friends, then under what circumstances can you shoot? If some person runs after you with their toiletry bag, throwing shampoo and bars of soap at you, can you shoot them? If someone takes out a tennis racket and a big drum of balls, and starts volleying tennis balls at you one after the other, can you shoot them?
He wasn't even charged with being under 18 and having a gun.
The only consolation about all this is that all 4 people (the perpetrator and the 3 victims) are white. If a victim had been black, I think you would have had riots all over America after Rittenhouse's acquittal.