Several metal bands have pulled out of a festival in Florida after it was announced Kyle Rittenhouse would appear as a special guest.
Shell Shock II is set to take place in Orlando on October 19. Organisers say that a portion of proceeds from the event will go to support first responders struggling with injuries including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Rittenhouse, 21, made national headlines after fatally shooting two Black Lives Matter protesters and injuring a third in Kinosha, Wisconsin in 2020. He claimed self-defense and was acquitted of all charges.
Jacksonville metalcore band Evergreen Terrace were among the first bands to pull out. In a statement on Facebook , they said that they have “always supported and continues to support philanthropic events for veterans, PTSD awareness, child poverty and many more” but that they will not “align with an event” promoting Rittenhouse “capitalizing off their pseudo celebrity.”
Other bands including Southpaw, Let Me Bleed and American Hollow followed suit in dropping out of the event.