Kyle Rittenhouse, acquitted in the August 2020 killing of two men and wounding a third during a tumultuous night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, announced his participation in an upcoming clay shoot tournament in Texas, but the social media post backfired as countless voices warned participants about the danger they might be getting themselves into.
“Get your tickets today!” the 21-year-old gun enthusiast wrote above an image touting the first TXGR Clay Shoot, scheduled for Sept. 12 in Fort Worth.
But social media users had a field day, making sure the world did not forget Rittenhouse’s controversial past.
“It’s gonna be KILLER!” user CoachMike commented on Rittenhouse’s status.“Lemme guess … Clay made you feel ‘threatened’?” asked another user named Hawt Mike.
“Hell no!! I know how you are with guns and crowds. I’ll stay far away, you little freak,” another user wrote.
Others called Rittenhouse a “murderer,” “grifter” and a “fraud,” with some users mocking Rittenhouse with photos showing him breaking down in tears when the jury found him innocent of all charges in 2021 when he was 18.
Many of the comments are laced with profanities and insults and are too extreme to repeat.
Some users also accused Rittenhouse of turning his back on his family while their lives have been uprooted due to the controversy over his acquittal, saying his mother was destitute after she was (incorrectly) accused of driving him across state lines with a loaded assault weapon and depositing him at the scene of the demonstrations where he shot three people in the presence of Kenosha police, who did not arrest him. (Rittenhouse’s gun actually was kept in Kenosha at the home of his sister’s boyfriend’s stepfather. The boyfriend was friendly with Rittenhouse and had bought the gun for him.)
The melee was ignited by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man from Kenosha who survived being shot multiple times in the back and was further intensified by the murder of George Floyd several months earlier by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
At the time, Rittenhouse was a 17-year-old police youth cadet who claimed he went to Kenosha armed with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle to protect property from the rioters.
Three years after his acquittal, Rittenhouse is trying to rebrand himself while remaining aligned with the gun rights cause, where he has been celebrated by conservatives.
In September he will be among seven VIPs participating in the daylong clay shooting event, with special group packages available for community members to enhance their experience. The most expensive package costs $2,500 to shoot alongside prominent gun rights activists, including Travis Mears, Dudley Brown, Dustin Ellerman, and Chad Prather, among others.
A profile photo of a beaming and clean-cut Rittenhouse in a beige camoflauge cap and a dark button-down shirt appears on the website, and below his image is the title: TXGR Outreach Director & Gun Rights Activist.
A short biography asserts his justification for exercising self-defense during the 2020 riot.
“Kyle is a staunch advocate for the Second Amendment and is widely recognized for his acquittal in 2021 after defending himself during the 2020 riots. With notable interviews by prominent figures like Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump Jr., and Charlie Kirk, Kyle has effectively voiced his perspective on national platforms,” the bio states. “His commitment to self-defense rights has also led him to speak at multiple universities, educating students on the crucial role of campus carry and the enduring value of the Second Amendment.”
The website, which is funded by the Texas Gun Rights, No Compromise PAC, also touts several recent legal victories for gun rights in Texas.
“We have plenty of big wins to celebrate, including the passage of constitutional carry in Texas, the removal of some of the biggest anti-2A Republicans the state has ever seen, and challenging the ATF in court and beating them, not once, but twice!” the message states. “Don’t miss this opportunity to shoot with our VIPs, chat with TXGR President, Chris McNutt, and grab a photo with Kyle Rittenhouse. We’ll also have a BBQ lunch and silent auction, so go secure your spot now!”
The event will be held at Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch on Aledo Road in Fort Worth.
An individual ticket costs $175, but adding on a golf cart rental kicks the price up to $250.
A shooting team of four guests costs $725 with the golf cart and $650 without.
Spectator passes are also available for $50.
One step below the $2,500 VIP group package is a $1,000 deal for four participants.
Rittenhouse was shown on camera footage shooting three people during a struggle that broke out in the chaos of the Kenosha riot. In November 2021, he was put on trial on charges of homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering, with the jury delivering the shocking verdict after nearly four days of deliberations.
Rittenhouse had previously faced life in prison for the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived.
During the trial, Rittenhouse took the stand in his own defense, claiming he had fired his AR-15 style rifle in self-defense and that he feared for his life during the chaos.
The verdict came two days after Rittenhouse’s attorneys called on the judge to declare a mistrial, claiming the defense team was given an inferior copy of a potentially critical video from prosecutors.
Previously, Rittenhouse had also faced the charge of possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that Judge Bruce Schroeder dismissed before jury deliberations began.
The Rittenhouse case became a central flashpoint in the debate over guns, racial injustice, vigilantism and the right to self-defense.
Conservative voices around the country, including those on Fox News and then-President Donald Trump, immediately hailed the teen as a hero, saying he exercised his Second Amendment gun rights in the shooting.
Former actor Rick Schroeder helped pay for his bail as he awaited trial, and more than $2 million was raised toward his legal defense.
