Almost five years after using an AR-15 to defend himself against an angry mob of Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kyle Rittenhouse is making headlines again, albeit fewer, as the newest celebrity employee of a North Florida gun shop. Rittenhouse was just 17 at the time of the shooting, in which he wounded one attacker and introduced two more to the room temperature challenge. The incident and the ensuing high-profile trial made national headlines, ultimately leading to his acquittal on all counts, a decision that made waves across the country.
Now 22 years old, Rittenhouse has become the center of an advertising campaign as the latest full-time employee at Gulf Coast Gun and Outdoors in Milton, Florida. In a February 5 post on their Facebook page, Gulf Coast Gun and Outdoors showed off their new hire and invited customers to come into the store and buy their next gun from the “Kenosha Kid.”
“Come buy your next pew pew from Kyle Rittenhouse!!! So come on down, meet the Kenosha Kid and get a great deal on all your 2A needs. Kyle will even ring you up … Come welcome Kyle to the GCG team,” the gun shop posted on Facebook.
In January, GCG owner Chris Smith announced on Facebook Live that Rittenhouse would be a special guest for the store’s 10th-anniversary celebration that offered up a grand prize firearm “designed by” Rittenhouse called the KR-15, which features Rittenhouse’s signature on the side and is sold in the store as a GCG exclusive. The prize included 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and every gun purchased throughout the anniversary weekend included a complimentary autographed copy of Rittenhouse’s book, “Acquitted.”
“Kyle loved you guys so much, he decided he wants to work at GCG full time,” the Facebook post read.
Rittenhouse is originally from Antioch, Illinois, but according to his X account, he currently lives in Pensacola, Florida, a short trip to his new grind in Milton. GCG social media posts about Rittenhouse have received thousands of mixed reactions, from unwavering support to posts that should land people on watch lists.
Interestingly enough, the latter of those posters don’t seem to take issue with the abject criminal history of Rittenhouse’s attackers. One of them had been sentenced to a decade in prison on child molestation charges and spent just over 14 years in prison for dozens of disciplinary infractions. Additionally, he had pending charges for domestic abuse and jumping bail at the time of his death. Another attacker was convicted of domestic abuse and disorderly conduct in 2018 and did prison time in 2012 for choking his brother. The surviving attacker testified at the trial that he pointed his handgun at Rittenhouse before being shot and that he was not permitted to carry the concealed weapon at the time of the incident.
