Gun rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse, who made national headlines for being acquitted in an August 2020 shooting that killed two men during rioting in Kenosha, Wis., made a surprise return to social media Wednesday to announce that he is married.
“I’m back on social media, I’m back in the fight, and i’m here to stay,” the 22-year-old wrote on X alongside two images of him and his bride, Bella — including one in which his new wife held an AR-15.
“For a quick update, 6 months ago I made the best decision of my life and married my best friend. @BellRittenhouse, I couldn’t be happier. I love you beautiful.”
Rittenhouse was found not guilty on Nov. 19, 2021, of homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangerment in the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, on Aug. 25, 2020.
The then-17-year-old had brought a semi-automatic rifle and a medical kit to Kenosha in what he claims was an effort to protect businesses as riots broke out over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man who was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Attorneys for the Illinois native successfully argued that he had acted in self-defense after being confronted and attacked by all three victims.
Since his acquittal, Rittenhouse has been a staunch opponent of gun control legislation, including advocating against so-called “red flag” laws that would permit weapons to be taken from people who show signs of harming themselves or others.
“I support the Second Amendment because without it, I might not be here today,” Rittenhouse wrote in a later X post. “In 2020, when I was 17, I was put in a situation where violent criminals attacked me, struck me in the head multiple times, and one even pointed a gun at my face. I’m no hero. I had no choice but to defend my own life in that moment. I’m not in prison — and I’m alive — because the Founders recognized our God-given right to self-defense, and the jury recognized that simple fact. If you believe we must defend the Second Amendment with everything we’ve got, follow me.”
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