KENT, Ohio — Kyle Rittenhouse spoke to the Turning Point USA chapter at Kent State University on Tuesday evening, following a protest featuring multiple organizations condemning his visit.
Rittenhouse made headlines several years ago as he faced charges connected to the shooting deaths of two men, which happened during a 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was later found not guilty as his trial concluded in November 2021.
Now, Rittenhouse is on a national speaking tour, and on this night he addressed a crowd at Kiva Auditorium at the Kent Student Center. During his speech, he shared his perspective of what happened during the 2020 incident.
"I was in between those four vehicles with the guy who threatened to kill me now ripping my gun out of my hand trying to steal it from me so he could try to kill me with it," he said. "That's when I defended myself against him. I shot him four times and he passed away."
He also urged students to mobilize and push for campus carry.
"Put pressure on your lawmakers. Tell them, 'This is not OK and I have a right to the Second Amendment, and you saying I can't own a fire arm and bring it into the dormitories or carry my firearm in class is unconstitutional,'" he explained. "I don’t want to see all these young innocent college students fall victim because their university doesn’t care about them.
Rittenhouse's visit to Northeast Ohio came just weeks after protests were held at the University of Memphis when he came to speak on that campus for their own Turning Point USA chapter.
PROTESTING HIS VISIT
A press conference and protest took place earlier in the day on Tuesday, featuring the following organizations:
- Ohio Student Association (OSA)
- Spanish and Latine Student Association (SALSA)
- Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
- Black United Students (BUS)
- Ignite
“The events of May 4th, when the National Guard callously took the lives of four student protesters and left nine others wounded, continue to cast a long shadow over the collective consciousness of Kent State's student body,” according to a press release. “It is deeply unsettling for Kent students to witness Rittenhouse, whose notoriety stems from his fatal shooting of two Black Lives Matter protesters and injuring another, including Gaige Grosskreutz, being given a platform to speak. Such a decision not only undermines the values of inclusivity and respect but also dishonors the enduring legacy of Kent's campus.”
Gaige Grosskreutz, a survivor who was shot by Rittenhouse, also joined the demonstration.
"While I've simply tried to live my life and not relive those moments, Kyle Rittenhouse has taken a different path," Grosskreutz told the crowd. "He has used every moment to gloat and to make light of taking life. As if that were not enough, Kyle has embraced and been embraced by those who pedal hateful rhetoric."
Some students on campus also spoke out against Rittenhouse's views.
"I don't agree, I don't support, I don't believe that a murderer should be on campus, although he was acquitted," freshman Spencer Payton told WKYC. "I just don't feel safe knowing that somebody with that type of history, that type of efficiency of violence, should be here, especially given the history of our campus. This campus is a monument to the survivors. These are shooting victims."
REACTION FROM KENT STATE
Kent State University provided the following statement to 3News on Tuesday:
"At Kent State University, we are driven by our core values, which include kindness and respect and freedom of speech. We cannot ban speech because it would go against a core value and because of well-established laws governing free speech on public university campuses. Upholding the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful assembly for all, the university has a long history of allowing peaceful dialogue from all points of view, including those whom some may feel are offering different and/or sometimes controversial opinions. Consistent with our core values, we encourage open dialogue and respectful civil discourse in an inclusive environment.
"The safety of our community is the priority of Kent State’s Department of Public Safety, Police Services. Police Services is aware, monitors and assesses the safety of our community during campus events and responds accordingly."