Judge dismisses charge against U.S. teen Kyle Rittenhouse during murder trial for possessing rifle

Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time of the shootings, says he acted in self-defense when he used his rifle to shoot three people, two of which were killed

Kyle Rittenhouse breaks down on the stand as he testifies about his encounter with the late Joseph Rosenbaum during his trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Rittenhouse is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a protest over police brutality in Kenosha, last year. Picture: Mark Hertzberg /Pool Photo via AP

A judge in the Wisconsin murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse on Monday dismissed a misdemeanor charge against the teenager for illegally possessing the AR-15-style rifle he used to shoot three people, killing two, in what he says was self-defense.

In dismissing the charge, Judge Bruce Schroeder said the law on possession was unclear. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings.