American Sniper Author Shot Dead at Gun Range
Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL whose book American Sniper detailed his over 150 confirmed kills, was shot dead at a gun range in Texas on Saturday afternoon. Kyle, 38, who had recently appeared on the reality show Stars Earn Stripes, was allegedly shot by Eddie Ray Routh, 25, who also shot another person before taking Kyle's truck. He was arrested a short time later after a chase with police.
Kyle, whose book was a bestseller last year, was focusing his time helping soldiers who were struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Multiple outlets are reporting, but it has not yet been confirmed (UPDATE: Confirmed), that Routh was a former Marine who was struggling with PTSD, and that Kyle took him to the gun range to help him deal with his condition. Routh then shot both men before fleeing the scene.
Kyle's reputation among Iraqi insurgents led them to dub him "the devil" and place a bounty on his head. He was most recently embroiled in a legal battle with former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura after writing in his 2012 book that he punched Ventura after he said unpatriotic remarks.