The family of Kenosha killer Kyle Rittenhouse claims he abandoned them and threatened them with deportation while cashing in on his fame.
The 21-year-old gained notoriety in 2020 after shooting three men with an AR-15-style rifle during unrest following a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Two of the men died, but a jury acquitted him of murder the following year after concluding he acted in self-defense.
He has become an icon of the right-wing media circuit, appearing at conferences and meeting Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, but his sister Faith has launched a Gofundme appeal to save her and mother Wendy, 49, from homelessness, citing her “my brother’s unwillingness to care for or contribute to our family.”
“Our family has experienced unimaginable hardship, and now we stand on the brink of losing everything,” she wrote.
Kyle Rittenhouse has become a darling of the right-wing speaking circuit since being acquitted of the murders of two Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020
His mother Wendy and sister Faith supported him during his trial, but claim he abandoned them to brave poverty and homelessness alone
Rittenhouse reportedly moved to a luxurious community in Houston after taking a job as Outreach Director for the Second Amendment lobby group Texas Gun Rights and launching his media career.
But he was chased from the stage by Black Lives Matter protesters at the University of Memphis in March during a speech on tour for the conservative group Turning Point USA, focusing on the Second Amendment and “the lies of Black Lives Matter ‘.
Some held signs with the faces of Anthony Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, the men he shot dead in 2020.
Rittenhouse and his gun group have lobbied hard in the run-up to last week’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Trump-era federal ban on bump stocks.
‘Time to celebrate and buy some bump stock!’ he tweeted before adding, “Next step, make America fully automated again!”
His mother and sister, who supported him during his murder trial, left their home in Antioch, Illinois, in the aftermath and moved into a small apartment in Kissimmee, Florida, where they claim they are now just days away from eviction.
“Our lives were shattered when my brother was involved in a tragic shooting incident,” Faith wrote. “The aftermath of this event uprooted our family’s stability and left us grappling with grief, trauma and the harsh reality of starting over.
“We have had trouble finding and keeping work because many people still believe that my mother drove Kyle or was somehow involved in his decision to move to Kenosha.
Donald Trump said Rittenhouse was a ‘really nice young man’ after inviting him to his Mar-A-Lago home in 2021
But his sister Faith slammed his “unwillingness to care for or contribute to our family” when she posted a Gofundme appeal with a photo of her medical treatment.
Faith said she and her mother were facing imminent eviction from their Kissimmee apartment
“Due to my brother’s unwillingness to provide support or contribute to our family, we have to make this journey alone.
‘To make matters worse, I lost my job due to frequent hospital admissions due to medical issues. I have not been able to work for the past four months, making it extremely difficult to earn a living.”
Faith, 23, accompanied her call with a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a blood monitor.
“We have fallen behind on rent and now we are facing eviction with only eight days left in our apartment,” she wrote.
“The thought of losing our home, our sanctuary amid the chaos, is overwhelming and terrifying.”
The $3,000 goal was surpassed Friday evening, with $3,835 raised from 67 donations.