The 22-year-old gun-rights activist reappears online with wedding photos, including one showing his wife holding an AR-15, reigniting debate around his public role since his high-profile 2021 acquittal.
Gun-rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse, who gained national attention after being acquitted in the 2020 Kenosha shootings, made a surprise return to social media Wednesday — announcing that he is married and recommitting himself to political activism.
“I’m back on social media, I’m back in the fight, and I’m here to stay,” Rittenhouse wrote on X.
The post included two wedding photos featuring Rittenhouse and his bride, Bella, including one where she is holding an AR-15 rifle, a symbolic choice likely to spark political commentary.
Rittenhouse noted that the pair married six months ago:
“I made the best decision of my life and married my best friend… I couldn’t be happier.”
BACKGROUND: THE 2021 ACQUITTAL
Rittenhouse, then 17, shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Aug. 25, 2020.
He was acquitted on all charges — including homicide and reckless endangerment — on Nov. 19, 2021, after attorneys argued he acted in self-defense while protecting businesses during riots that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The prosecution and defense narratives became a flashpoint in national debates over:
- Self-defense laws
- Gun rights
- Vigilantism
- Racial justice and policing
Rittenhouse has remained a polarizing figure ever since.
A CONTINUED ROLE IN GUN-RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Post-acquittal, Rittenhouse has positioned himself as an outspoken opponent of gun-control legislation, particularly “red flag” laws.
In a follow-up post Wednesday, he wrote:
“I support the Second Amendment because without it, I might not be here today.”
“I’m not in prison — and I’m alive — because the Founders recognized our God-given right to self-defense.”
He continues to frame his 2020 actions as a matter of personal survival, urging followers to “defend the Second Amendment with everything we’ve got.”
His reappearance indicates he intends to re-engage with political organizing, online activism, and possibly speaking tours — arenas he stepped back from in recent months.
