Rittenhouse's appearance at a university generated hostility from a number of students but he remained positive, saying it had been "a great event."

Kyle Rittenhouse abruptly departed the stage during an appearance at the University of Memphis on Wednesday, after he was confronted about comments made by Turning Point USA founder and president Charlie Kirk.

Rittenhouse was invited by the college’s Turning Point USA chapter to speak at the campus. However, the event was met with backlash from a number of students who objected to Rittenhouse’s presence.

The 21-year-old gained notoriety in August 2020 when, at the age of 17, he shot and killed two men—Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, as well as injuring 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz—at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

He said the three shootings, carried out with a semi-automatic AR-15-style firearm, were in self-defense. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest where the shootings took place was held after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was left paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot by a white police officer.

  • EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    8 months ago

    Interesting. Any more context of this video? Although let’s me clear, this is him saying he wanted to shoot someone for an unknown reason. Not him saying he wanted to go to Kenosha to shoot people.

      • JimSamtanko@lemm.ee
        2·
        8 months ago

        The point is that he WANTED to kill people that weren’t a threat. Looting is not a punishment by vigilante murderer offense.

        • Samueru@lemmy.world
          2·
          8 months ago

          Nobody he killed was doing any looting. So whats the point? He deserves jail sentence for something he didnt do?

          Had he opened fire on people that were looting, the trial would have been a totally different thing, they simply attacked him for holding a weapon which is insanely stupid and you are mad that he defended himself lmao.

      • EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        I’ll watch the video when I get a chance, can’t right now at work.

        But I did want to say I appreciate you actually providing stuff respectfully instead of just attacking and misrepresenting my position.

        • Samueru@lemmy.world
          3·
          8 months ago

          Yeah it is crazy how misinformation spreads, if you actually go back on reddit and check /r/news the day the ruling happened everybody pretty much knew that was going to be the result because of how much of a shitshow the trial was and that the prosecution had nothing in their case.

          But yeah the fact that people still spread blatant lies like “he drove across state lines with the rifle” is very chilling.

          • EatATaco@lemm.eeEnglish
            3·
            8 months ago

            It’s the same thing with the Zimmerman/Martin. The facts don’t matter, just the narrative the originally caught on. Any deviation from this is met with derision. And I’m not saying one side only, I’ve been attacked by both the people who think Rittenhouse is completely innocent saint that is the victim of biased system, and those who think he is a cold blooded murderer that went there that day with the intent of murdering people. No room for nuance.