Jurors weighing charges against Kyle Rittenhouse will return today for a second day of deliberations in his trial.
Jurors met for a full day yesterday with no quick verdict after two weeks of testimony.
Rittenhouse, then 17, shot two men to death and wounded a third during a night of protests against racial injustice in the summer of 2020.
The upcoming verdict 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.
Legal experts say the case points to inadequacies in self-defense law at a time of easy access to powerful weapons.