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 collegeā€™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 Rittenhouseā€™s presence.

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

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

  • GooseFinger@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    If you unnecessarily bring a gun somewhere and end up in a situation where you need to use it to kill people, youā€™re a murderer.

    Even if he didnā€™t provoke anyone? As long as the gun isnā€™t pointed at anyone and threats arenā€™t made with it, thereā€™s nothing provocative about it being there. I understand how others may feel different when their only exposure to firearms is what establishment news decides to show them, but reality is that the simple presence of a weapon like this is not alone a threat.

    If Kyle instead brought a concealed handgun (ignoring how thatā€™s illegal for a 17 y/o) and only drew it a moment before when he shot his first attacker, would your opinion change? How about if it was a knife, or a rock he found nearby? What if someone else jumped in and killed Kyleā€™s attacker instead?

    He actively sought out the situation, and therefore bears some responsibility.

    He did not actively seek out to kill people, youā€™re misinformed at best if you believe that, arrogant at worst.

    I donā€™t feel that trying to stop property damage for a family friendā€™s establishment in the middle of a riot, where police refused to stop people, is a pattern of behavior I want to discourage people from doing. If a convicted sex offender tried to kill me for stopping them from destroying my friendā€™s livelihood, and I killed them in self defense, I wouldnā€™t feel remorse for my actions.

    Iā€™m happy the jury ruled on facts and not liberal propaganda. And I say that as a registered Democrat.

    • infamousta@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      Dude provocation is entirely dependent on how others feel. If I find you bringing a rifle to my kidā€™s birthday party is unsettling then youā€™ve by definition provoked me. I donā€™t care if youā€™re not pointing it at anyone lol

    • sinedpick@awful.systems
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      9 months ago

      Youā€™ll notice I didnā€™t disagree with the verdict. I just think Kyle is scum and a murderer even if thatā€™s not under the technical legal definitions.

      I donā€™t feel that trying to stop property damage for a family friendā€™s establishment in the middle of a riot, where police refused to stop people, is a pattern of behavior I want to discourage people from doing.

      Really? Letting children be judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to property damage is something yourā€™e totally okay with? I think you have a little bit of growing up to do, buddy.