Kaitlin Bennett, widely recognized as "Kent State gun girl," is a prominent gun rights advocate and conservative figure active on social media. Her notoriety stems from an incident in 2018 where she openly carried an AR-10 rifle at Kent State University post-graduation. She leads the YouTube channel "Liberty Hangout," an extension of the media organization founded by her fiancé that centers around Austrian economic principles.
The Kent State shootings, a pivotal event in American history, occurred in 1970 when Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War. This event continues to be cited in debates about gun control and freedom of speech.
Kaitlin Marie Bennett was born on October 15, 1995. This event marks the beginning of her life and precedes her rise to fame as a controversial figure.
In 2016, Liberty Hangout posted content on Twitter denying the Holocaust, which was later deleted. This event resurfaced years later, adding to the controversy surrounding the organization and its affiliates.
In October 2017, Kaitlin Bennett resigned from her position as president of the Kent State chapter of Turning Point USA following a controversial event where a member protested safe spaces in a diaper.
Kaitlin Bennett graduated from Kent State University with a degree in biology in May 2018.
In 2018, Kaitlin Bennett attempted to organize an open-carry rally at Kent State University, leading to a cease and desist order from the university. Her subsequent association with InfoWars resulted in her exclusion from a Bernie Sanders campaign event. Despite this, she returned to Kent State in November 2018 to host a discussion on gun rights.
In 2018, Kaitlin Bennett gained widespread media attention and the moniker "Kent State Gun Girl" after posing for her graduation photo at Kent State University with an AR-10 rifle. Her actions sparked debate about gun rights and campus safety.
In 2018, Kaitlin Bennett sparked controversy by posing with an AR-10 rifle in her Kent State University graduation photos, advocating for open-carry rights and citing the 1970 Kent State shootings as justification for self-defense.
In 2019, Kaitlin Bennett conducted interviews with students at the University of Kentucky, focusing on controversial topics like transgender bathroom access. These interviews would later resurface and spark significant controversy.
Kaitlin Bennett and Justin Moldow, the founder of Liberty Hangout, got engaged in 2019.
In January 2020, videos from 2019 of Kaitlin Bennett interviewing University of Kentucky students about transgender bathroom access resurfaced online under the title "College Students Have No Morals." These videos, originally posted by Liberty Hangout, sparked significant online debate and backlash.
Kaitlin Bennett's visit to Ohio University in February 2020, intended for a President's Day trivia event, escalated into a confrontation with student protesters, forcing her to leave campus within two hours.
Kaitlin Bennett and Justin Moldow, founder of Liberty Hangout, were married in March 2020 after getting engaged in 2019.
In September 2020, Kaitlin Bennett's presence at the University of Central Florida led to a disturbance and a police escort off campus due to clashes with protesters, further solidifying her controversial image.
In 2020, reports revealed that Liberty Hangout, the media organization Kaitlin Bennett is associated with, made comments denying the Holocaust in a deleted 2016 Twitter post. This revelation further fueled controversy surrounding Bennett and the organization.
In 2021, Kaitlin Bennett publicly announced her conversion to Roman Catholicism.
On April 6, 2022, Kaitlin Bennett announced the birth of her first child with husband Justin Moldow on Twitter.