Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who wrote "American Sniper" about his career as a marksman in Iraq, was shot dead at a gun range in Texas Saturday.
Kyle, 38, and another man were found dead at the shooting range of Rough Creek Lodge on Saturday afternoon, the Texas Highway Patrol said.
The killer, identified as Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster, Texas, was arrested after a brief pursuit, Trooper and spokesman Lonny Haschel confirmed.
The other victim was named as Chad Littlefield, aged 35.
Kyle, a Texas native who grew up hunting, served four tours in Iraq with Navy SEAL Team 3, and is credited with 160 confirmed kills as a marksman.
His shooting during battles in Ramadi and Fallujah became legendary, and insurgents nicknamed him the "Devil of Ramadi" and put a bounty on his head.
Remarkable skill at his craft - one shooting too place from 2,100 yards, 1.2 miles away - earned Chris the reputation as "America's deadliest sniper."
In a February 2012 interview with NBC News, Kyle said he didn’t want to put the number of people he killed in the book but the publisher insisted.
“If I could figure out the number of people I saved, that’s something I would brag about,” he told NBC News' Lester Holt, regarding the U.S. mission.
Those close to him were shocked by the news.
"It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end," Scott McEwen, his co-author, said.
After leaving the Navy, Kyle founded Craft International, a group that provides training to military, police, corporate and civilian clients, Reuters said.
Kyle was married with two children.
Police said Routh is believed to have shot the victims at around 3:30 p.m. before leaving the shooting range and returning to his home in a pickup truck.
The link between Routh and the two victims wasn't immediately clear. The Dallas Morning News reported that Routh is 25 and had military training.
Kyle, 38, and another man were found dead at the shooting range of Rough Creek Lodge on Saturday afternoon, the Texas Highway Patrol said.
The killer, identified as Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster, Texas, was arrested after a brief pursuit, Trooper and spokesman Lonny Haschel confirmed.
The other victim was named as Chad Littlefield, aged 35.
Kyle, a Texas native who grew up hunting, served four tours in Iraq with Navy SEAL Team 3, and is credited with 160 confirmed kills as a marksman.
His shooting during battles in Ramadi and Fallujah became legendary, and insurgents nicknamed him the "Devil of Ramadi" and put a bounty on his head.
Remarkable skill at his craft - one shooting too place from 2,100 yards, 1.2 miles away - earned Chris the reputation as "America's deadliest sniper."
In a February 2012 interview with NBC News, Kyle said he didn’t want to put the number of people he killed in the book but the publisher insisted.
“If I could figure out the number of people I saved, that’s something I would brag about,” he told NBC News' Lester Holt, regarding the U.S. mission.
Those close to him were shocked by the news.
"It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end," Scott McEwen, his co-author, said.
After leaving the Navy, Kyle founded Craft International, a group that provides training to military, police, corporate and civilian clients, Reuters said.
Kyle was married with two children.
Police said Routh is believed to have shot the victims at around 3:30 p.m. before leaving the shooting range and returning to his home in a pickup truck.
The link between Routh and the two victims wasn't immediately clear. The Dallas Morning News reported that Routh is 25 and had military training.
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