Is Kyle Rittenhouse an ASU student? School says yes

Kyle Rittenhouse, who is on trial for shooting three men, two of whom died, during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer, revealed an Arizona connection on Wednesday during his testimony.

Rittenhouse, 18, said on the stand that he is a college student at Arizona State University studying nursing.

ASU confirmed that Rittenhouse enrolled as a non-degree-seeking online student for the session that started in mid-October of this year.

“Kyle Rittenhouse has not gone through the admissions process with Arizona State University and is not enrolled in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation,” university spokesperson Jay Thorne wrote in an email.

The online program “allows students access to begin taking classes as they prepare to seek admission into a degree program at the university,” Thorne wrote.

Rittenhouse said during testimony on Wednesday that he lives in Walworth County, Wis., with his mother and two sisters. He said he graduated from an online high school.

Rittenhouse went to Kenosha during the summer 2020 protests, which were sparked by a Kenosha police officer shooting and wounding Jacob Blake.

Rittenhouse brought an AR-15-type rifle and a medical kit, saying his goal was to protect businesses and property from being destroyed.

In what he and his attorneys claim was self-defense, Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third. He faces criminal counts, including charges of homicide, which if convicted could lead to life in prison.

This is the second week of Rittenhouse’s trial. His case has been one of national interest and he’s become a symbol and rallying cry.

ASU conservative student group College Republicans United last summer announced it was accepting donations to support Rittenhouse’s legal defense. The group recently said on Twitter that it raised over $14,000 for his attorney fees last year.