Kyle Rittenhouse said this week he is destroying the AR-15 he used to defend himself against multiple attackers during a Black Lives Matter riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year.
During an appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show on Tuesday, Rittenhouse said the firearm is “being destroyed right now.”
“We don’t want anything to do with that,” said Rittenhouse, 18. The teen had broken down in tears during his trial last month as he described using the weapon to kill two men and injure a third in self-defense. His lawyers later revealed that the teen was suffering from PTSD as a result.
Rittenhouse said he was shocked when, during the trial, Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger raised the AR-15 in court and pointed it at the jury with his finger on the trigger.
“He was pointing the gun at the gallery, and I looked at my attorney, I looked at [Corey Chirafisi], and I said, ‘Corey, that’s Gun Safety 101,’” Rittenhouse commented.
“Loaded or unloaded, treat a gun like it’s loaded,” he added.
Rittenhouse also criticized the prosecution’s argument that he could not plead self-defense because he had a gun.
“I’m no lawyer … [but] what he’s saying is, ‘No one has a right to defend theirself in the United States if they’re the one that brings a gun.’ So, that means what he’s saying is nobody’s allowed to carry a gun, essentially,” he said.
Rittenhouse said he believes his case is about Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms, which is why top Democrats like Rep. Jerry Nadler recommended a federal probe.
“They’re coming after our guns. They want to come after Americans’ guns. People’s rights to buy arms,” Rittenhouse said.
Since being acquitted, Rittenhouse has been the subject of scorn from anti-gun protesters, including students at Arizona State University where Rittenhouse is studying.
He laughed off the protests at ASU as “silly and funny.”
“I don’t really care that they’re protesting … I agree with everyone’s right to demonstrate, no matter how silly it is,” he said.
While he supports Americans’ right to demonstrate, Rittenhouse – speaking from experience – recommended the students “go to college, get a degree, spend time with your family, enjoy your life — because you never know what can happen the next day.”
Looking ahead, Rittenhouse said he is considering law school and “getting into criminal justice.”
Just days after his acquittal in a high-profile self-defense case, Rittenhouse met with former President Donald Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
