Kyle Rittenhouse's Minneapolis Machine Gun Post Sparks Furious National Backlash

Controversial gun rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse is back on the radar, this time greeted by a mob of online outbursts following a social media post expressing his desire to take a military-grade Gatling mini-gun to the anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In his post on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, Rittenhouse is seen amid a High Ground Defense exhibit at a Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. Rittenhouse proceeded to caption the photo, 'Thinking of taking this to Minneapolis. Thoughts?' It wasn't long before backlash from the online community- from social media to online forum Reddit- began to flood.

Who is Kyle Rittenhouse?

The 23-year-old gun rights activist from Illinois sparked interest across the globe in August of 2020 when he shot and killed two men and left a third man wounded amid protests against police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse, who claimed he had been carrying a gun to protect a car dealership amid the riot, was only 17 then.

Following the shooting, Rittenhouse was acquitted of the charges filed against him, after a 4-day deliberation, and the jury ultimately determined his actions were done in self-defence. In a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report, Rittenhouse, who has been in the spotlight since, even being appointed as outreach director for Texas Gun Rights, was found not guilty on all charges.

In 2021, Rittenhouse was spotted with then former President Donald Trump at Florida luxury private club Mar-a-Lago that prompted reactions online, such as movie director Rob Reiner lashing out, 'An underaged kid illegally takes an assault rifle across state lines, kills two people, injures another, then is welcomed with open arms at Mar-a-Lago by the leader of the Republican Party, a mentally ill Racist. This is where we are. God help US,' as reported by The Wrap.

In July of 2023, Rittenhouse filed with the Texas Secretary of State to launch the Texas-based non-profit organisation, Rittenhouse Foundation, where he is proclaimed president, aimed at defending 'an individual's inalienable right to bear arms' via 'education and legal assistance,' per Forbes. Texas Gun Rights president Chris McNutt and Defend Texas Liberty PAC, Shelby Griesinger are co-presidents of the foundation.

'The Most Punchable Face' - The Online Community's Outburst

Kyle Rittenhouse's social media post sparked national outbursts, with users taking to social media to express their concerns. One user reposted Rittenhouse's photo on the subreddit
r/MurderedByWords, saying, 'Can this loser just fade into obscurity, please?'

Commenters were quick to react, supporting the poster's disdain over Kyle Rittenhouse. One user said, 'LoL someone should see if he wants to square up in public without a military weapon to hide behind and then record him crying.'

On X, Rittenhouse's post gained traction as well, with users flocking to the comment section. Someone commented, 'We get it your schtick is "I murdered a guy and got away with it, so let me joke about murdering more Americans,"' and one user commented on his attempt at being intimidating, saying, 'Bro, you're about as intimidating as a wet napkin...' Another X commenter said, 'Member when you got famous for killing a guy?' seemingly wanting to remind Rittenhouse of his ordeal before his fame.