Kyle Rittenhouse might appear at the RNC. Who is he, and what is he doing in 2024?
The 2024 Republican National Convention is expected to bring various celebrities, influencers and familiar faces to Milwaukee.
Among those likely to make an appearance is Kyle Rittenhouse, the 21-year-old gun rights figure who gained national attention in August 2020 when the then-17-year-old fatally shot two men and wounded a third during protests in Kenosha, Wis., following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse was ultimately found not guilty on all counts related to the incident. The jury agreed with Rittenhouse's supporters and lawyers that the teen acted in self-defense after Rittenhouse's high-profile 2021 trial.
Just days after the initial incident, Rittenhouse became somewhat of a hero to certain conservative media outlets, personalities and gun rights advocates. Meanwhile, other citizens and activists protested his not-guilty verdict.
In the years since his acquittal, Rittenhouse has remained in the spotlight, attending numerous events hosted by conservative organizations and officials including Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson and Matt Gaetz. Rittenhouse is currently the outreach director for Texas Gun Rights, a state affiliate of the National Association for Gun Rights advocacy group.
Here's what you need to know about Rittenhouse:
How old is Kyle Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse was born on Jan. 3, 2003, and will be 21 years old at the time of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Where is Kyle Rittenhouse from?
Rittenhouse was born and raised in Antioch, Ill., just over 30 minutes southeast of Kenosha. After being acquitted of the Kenosha shootings, Rittenhouse moved to Texas, where he has been active in conservative politics and gun rights advocacy.
What happened with Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha?
On Aug. 25, 2020, 17-year-old Rittenhouse and a friend traveled to Kenosha where protests were taking place following the Aug. 23 officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Blake was shot seven times in the back after walking away from officers and attempting to enter an SUV. Blake survived but was paralyzed following the shooting. The officer who shot Blake was not charged.
A neighbor's cellphone video of the Blake shooting quickly went viral, prompting massive protests in Kenosha that turned violent, leading to major property damage downtown. Dozens of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.
During the daytime hours of Aug. 25, Rittenhouse helped clean up damage from the protests. He returned to downtown Kenosha that evening with a rifle, joining other armed groups guarding a second location of a car business that had been severely damaged.
Rittenhouse shot three men: Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; Anthony Huber, 26, and Gaige Grosskreutz, 26. Rosenbaum and Huber died, and Grosskreutz sustained injuries. A jury found Rittenhouse acted in self-defense.
Was Kyle Rittenhouse convicted?
No, Rittenhouse was found not guilty of all charges related to the Kenosha shootings. On Nov. 19, 2021, he was acquitted of killing two men, wounding another and endangering two more.
The 12-person jury heard from witnesses over two weeks and then deliberated for nearly 26 hours before reaching their acquittal verdict.
More: 'It was a tough case': A divided country views the Rittenhouse verdict through very different lenses
Journal Sentinel reporters Bruce Vielmetti and Chris Kuhagen contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Kyle Rittenhouse, and what is he doing in 2024?
