Kyle Rittenhouse waves to cheering fans as he appears at a panel discussion at a Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) - A month after his acquittal on murder charges, Kyle Rittenhouse was given a standing ovation at a conservative group's conference in Phoenix where panelists discussed the 2020 deadly shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Most of the comments during Monday's discussion were made by other panelists, but the 18-year-old Rittenhouse reflected on how the trial had matured him and about his decision to take the stand to provide his account of the shootings.
The panel discussion was held by Turning Point USA, which organizes young conservative activists.
Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges in the deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz. The shooting occurred during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer.
Businesses in Kenosha were ransacked and burned in the nights that followed Blake's shooting. Rittenhouse said that he went from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha to protect property from rioters but that he acted in self-defense after he came under attack and feared for his life.
Prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a 'œwannabe soldier'ť who had gone looking for trouble, while his supporters regarded him as a patriot who took a stand against lawlessness.
Kyle Rittenhouse, left, waves to cheering fans as he arrives for a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press
Kyle Rittenhouse, right, shakes hands with Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, while appearing at a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press
Kyle Rittenhouse, right, is introduced to a cheering crowd by Charlie Kirk, middle, founder of Turning Point USA, as Jack Posobiec, left, host of Once America News Network, joins them on stage at a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press
Kyle Rittenhouse speaks at a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press
Kyle Rittenhouse speaks at a panel discussion at the Turning Point USA America Fest 2021 event, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Phoenix. The panel discussion, called "Kenosha On Camera," comes a month after Rittenhouse's acquittal on charges in the deadly Kenosha shootings in 2020. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Associated Press