Kyle Rittenhouse, the 23-year-old firearms activist known for his acquittal in the 2020 Kenosha protest shootings, was hospitalized on May 6, 2023, after being bitten by a venomous brown recluse spider. He shared images from his hospital bed on social media, humorously stating, 'The communists couldn’t take me out and I’ll be damned if I let a brown recluse take me out.' Rittenhouse did not disclose the location or timing of the bite but later confirmed that the spider did not survive the encounter. His wife, Bella, joined in the humor, claiming the spider had been 'neutralized' and suggesting that Rittenhouse might wake up with 'spidey senses.' According to Poison.org, bites from brown recluse spiders can cause necrosis of surrounding tissue, but serious illness and fatalities are rare in the U.S. Rittenhouse gained national attention after fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, and was acquitted of all charges after arguing self-defense. He currently works as the chief firearms instructor and director of partnerships for Texas Gun Rights, the largest gun rights organization in Texas.