Kyle Rittenhouse confronted by his victim, protesters at Kent State University

Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of his murder charges in the 2020 Kenosha unrest shooting, took the stage on Tuesday to speak about gun rights. The 21-year-old made an appearance at Kent State University as part of his series called The Rittenhouse Recap. Ahead of his speech, Rittenhouse was met with hundreds of protesters, who were lined up outside the education facility to oppose his presence. Rittenhouse’s victim, Paul Prediger, now known as Gaige Grosskreutz, was also present at the event to speak out against his 2020 shooter.
Rittenhouse was invited by Turning Point USA’s chapters at four colleges, including KSU, to give a talk about “individual rights, self-defense, and the importance of upholding the rule of law,” the conservative group’s spokesperson Aubrey Laitsch said, per Newsweek. Prior to his appearance at KSU, he also faced protests at the other three institutions- East Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis, and Western Kentucky University.
Addressing a crowd of almost 300 students at KSU, Rittenhouse spoke at length about the events of the 2020 shooting, where he killed two and injured one. “Imagine being 17 years old and being chased by an angry mob. It was terrifying,” he said. Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of his charges on grounds of self-defence, advocated gun rights, saying the citizens of the country should be able to defend themselves.
Prediger joined the angry protesters lined up at the Kent State University, where he broke his silence about the 2020 shooting, which left him injured. “Kyle Rittenhouse has taken every moment to gloat and make light of taking life. I stand with the students of Kent State University who have had enough,” he said, adding, “My identity like this has been completely and utterly politicized.”
In footage of his speech shared on X, formerly Twitter, Prediger can be heard saying, “Since November 2021, I’ve chosen to remain silent and not speak publicly regarding Kyle Rittenhouse and the events surrounding that night, having [preferred] my anonymity and safety over revisiting a traumatic period in my life. But that silence ends today.”