Kyle Rittenhouse speaks to small Memphis crowd year after being booed off U of M stage

Kyle Rittenhouse took the stage at the University of Memphis again Wednesday, almost a year after he was jeered and booed off stage. But unlike in 2024, his speech was sparsely attended, had a smaller protest crowd and ended without fireworks.

He began his speech a little after 7:15 p.m. and said Memphis had “matured a little,” before calling out a few familiar faces in the crowd of a few dozen.

Outside, protesters gathered chanting “killer on campus” and holding signs about Rittenhouse. The overall scene was tamer than a year ago.

The event, hosted by Turning Point USA's Memphis chapter, featured Rittenhouse speaking to a small collection of students and community members. His speech was about the Second Amendment and his experience during his first-degree intentional homicide trial.

Jay Opp, a student from the U of M, left the event early after asking a question. Opp said he expressed concern over TPUSA only allowing a few people into the event.He also said the event felt “controlled” this year compared to last year, and said it seemed to be a way to show Memphians agreeing with him.

What did Kyle Rittenhouse say at the University of Memphis?

Rittenhouse gave a recount of the night he shot three people, two fatally, in his own words. Roughly 40 people were in the auditorium, and some rows were completely empty.

Last year, Rittenhouse was accompanied by his service dog but he was without Milo this time around.

Rittenhouse was able to get through his speech without any interruptions, the audience sat completely silent with some recording on their phone.

After he finished his speech, Rittenhouse allowed some questions from the audience, similar to what occurred last year at the event.

Rittenhouse ignored some inquiries and only answered questions related to his experience the night of the shooting. Other attendees who pressed him about gun rights, specifically Rittenhouse's statements regarding high-crime cities having lax gun registration, he either argued or dismissed.

Moses Davis, a junior at U of M, had an amicable exchange with Rittenhouse. While the two disagreed on multiple fronts, Rittenhouse joked that the two should become penpals or follow each other on Instagram.

Protesters were present, but the event was more controlled than Rittenhouse's event the year prior.

Who is Kyle Rittenhouse?

Rittenhouse rose to prominence in conservative circles after fatally shooting two protestors and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. He had traveled from his home in Illinois with an AR-15 purchased by a friend because he was too young to legally buy or own one.

He said he was there to protect businesses and serve as a medic.

Rittenhouse was ultimately charged with five felonies, including two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, but claimed self-defense and was acquitted by a jury.

Wednesday was not the first time Rittenhouse has been to the U of M campus. He previously spoke on campus at a similar event in March 2024 and drew a protest of about 200 people.

Those people gathered with signs that read “Put Rittenhouse behind bars not a podium,” “Murderers don't belong here,” “Face of a Weenie” and “No one should be open to: Racism, Christo-Fascism, Murderous Little Shits.”

Rittenhouse left the stage early after an audience member asked if he believed some statements toward Black people were racist. He did not answer the question, and people shouted “deflection.” He left the stage shortly after.

Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by phone or email: (901)208-3922 and Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, and followed on X @LucasFinton.

Brooke Muckerman is a politics and education reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal and 901-484-6225.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Kyle Rittenhouse in Memphis: What happened at Univeristy of Memphis speech