Chris Kyle, a veteran of the Iraq War, an author and Navy SEAL sniper, was murdered on Saturday along with a friend, allegedly by a Marine Corps veteran with PTSD whom Kyle was counseling.
Kyle murdered at a shooting range
According to the Associated Press, Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, was shot by Eddie Ray Routh at at a shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge 50 miles southeast of Fort Worth, Texas. Kyle and Littlefield were apparently attempting to help Routh deal with post-traumatic stress disorder acquired as a result of his military service. Routh shot both men and attempted to flee in Kyle's pickup truck. He was apprehended by police after a brief chase near his home in Lancaster, Texas, 17 miles southeast of Dallas. He is currently being held on a $3 million bond on one charge of capital murder and two charges of murder.
Kyle the "deadliest sniper in American history"
Chris Kyle served in Iraq as a Navy SEAL sniper, experiences he recounted in his book, "American Sniper." He is known as the deadliest sniper in American history, having 150 confirmed kills of Iraqi terrorists. He was so feared that the insurgents referred to him as "the devil" and placed a bounty on his head. After completing his military service, Kyle established a foundation called FITCO Cares that provides athletic equipment to military veterans suffering from physical and mental wounds as a result of their service. CNN notes that Kyle was involved in an incident with former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. According to Kyle's account, Ventura denigrated the death of Navy SEALs, stating that "you deserve to lose a few," whereupon Kyle punched the former governor. Ventura has denied making those statements. Kyle also weighed in on the current controversy surrounding gun control. Kyle, who ran a company called Craft International that organizes group shooting events, expressed opposition to President Obama's attempts to institute gun control measures, suggesting that it was a first step on a campaign to ban private firearms.
Accolades for Kyle
Accolades for Kyle have poured in from across the country. Sarah and Todd Palin, who were acquainted with Kyle, mainly because of his involvement in the reality show "Stars Earn Stripes," in which Todd Palin was a participant, offered a condolence on Sarah Palin's Facebook page. Glenn Beck announced that his company would raise funds for Kyle's foundation, FITCO, as a memorial for the fallen Navy SEAL.
Hate for Kyle
Twitchy reports that a number of people have taken to Twitter to express joy at Kyle's death, suggesting that it was the result of some kind of "karma" as a result of his military service. Clara Jeffrey, the editor of the left-leaning Mother Jones magazine, is quoted as using Kyle's death as an argument for gun control.
Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.
