“I began teaching my son how to shoot when he was two, starting with the basics of a BB rifle. My theory is that kids get into trouble because of curiosity—if you don’t satisfy it, you’re asking for big problems. If you inform them and carefully instruct them on safety when they’re young, you avoid a lot of the trouble. My son has learned to respect weapons. I’ve always told him, if you want to use a gun, come get me. There’s nothing I like better than shooting.”
~ Chris Kyle, from his book American Sniper
From the New York Times
Mr. Kyle wrote the best-selling book, “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” detailing his 150-plus kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009.
Mr. Haschel said Erath County deputies responded to a shooting at the Rough Creek Lodge west of Glenn Rose at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday and found the bodies of Mr. Kyle, 38, and a second man, 35-year-old Chad Littlefield. Glenn Rose is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
The police said Mr. Routh opened fire on the two men at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, then fled in a Ford pickup truck. At about 8 p.m., Mr. Routh arrived at his home in Lancaster, about 17 miles southeast of Dallas. Police arrested him after a brief pursuit and took him to the Lancaster Police Department.
From the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram
The suspect, identified as Eddie Ray Routh, 25, was pursued to a house in Lancaster by officers, including a local SWAT team. Routh tried to flee in a vehicle but was stopped about 9 p.m. after spikes were laid across a road, Bryant said.
. . . Witnesses told sheriff's investigators that the gunman opened fire on the two men around 3:30 p.m., then fled in a pickup belonging to one of the victims. Cox said it was Kyle's. The Sheriff's Department didn't get a call until around 6 p.m.
. . . A member of SEAL Team 3, Kyle picked off his targets from rooftops or windows of abandoned buildings during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which toppled Saddam Hussein. Primarily serving as a sniper and wounded twice, he provided "overwatch" protection for Marines and other U.S. troops and earned a reputation for his proficiency.
Most shots ranged from 200 to 1,200 yards. His longest and most remarkable kill -- from 1.2 miles away -- took out an insurgent aiming a rocket launcher at an approaching Army convoy.
From Politico
A news release from Travis Cox, director of FITCO Cares, a nonprofit Kyle helped start, said Kyle served four tours of duty.
“Chris died doing what he filled his heart with passion - serving soldiers struggling with the fight to overcome PTSD,” Cox said in the release. “He will be forever missed.”
From Zap2It
Kyle earned two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars With Valor and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals.
This past summer, Kyle was one of the "operatives" on the NBC reality show, "Stars Earn Stripes," in which he was paired with actor Dean Cain, who demonstrated an effusive affection and admiration for Kyle.
From USA Today
Kyle was sued by former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura over a claim in the book that Kyle punched Ventura in a bar fight over unpatriotic remarks in 2006. Ventura says that the punch never happened and that the claim defamed him.
Kyle had sought to have Ventura's claims of invasion of privacy and "unjust enrichment" dismissed, saying there was no legal basis for them. A federal judge said the lawsuit should proceed. Both sides were told to be ready for trial by Aug.1.
Interview with Guns.com
(transcribed by snark amendment)
On his Commander-In-Chief, President Obama, and Gun Control
I don't know exactly what he (Obama) was doing, but he's definitely against the Second Amendment, tryin' to ban everything, so uh, you know . . . Good Luck. 'Cause I've talked to a bunch of the cops and some Secret Service guys and they're not going to dare go to anyone's house, especially if they know they have guns. They don't wanna be knockin' on doors. You start puttin' these bans in effect and people who don't know anything about the guns, they start thinkin' 'well, who needs thirty-round magazines.' Really? That's just opening the doors to taking more of our rights. Our founding fathers had the exact same weapons as the military - we don't even have that now.
England is a great example. Australia - they did a gun ban. Their gun violence went down, that's for sure. They're overall crime rate went up. When people aren't afraid because they know everyone, the populace, is unarmed, what's going to deter them from attacking someone, robbing them, or committing a crime? Especially when you're law enforcement in England, unarmed for the most part. So yeah, you look at ...Switzerland - has the lowest crime rate. Everybody has a weapon, 'cause everyone has to do, I think, it's two years in the military. And you keep your rifle and you go home. So everybody's armed. The lowest violence - there's something to it.
On Arming Teachers with Guns
In Texas, the independent school districts can decide themselves if they want guns in schools. It doesn't need the state to say it. It's already said - it's your decision. So my company's already been going in (Kyle is President of Craft International). Depending on how big the school is and how much money they have, we're putting our armed guards in there, or we're hiring off-duty police to put in there . . . the school puts in names of teachers who want to carry, then we do a screening process which is three-sided. Emotional, physical, but we also want your peering eval (?Peer Evaluation?) because you can lie about things but we wanna monitor you. And we want to put you through training. And it's ... we try to let them know you're not a cop, you're not a killer. Most of these people (perps), if they see a gun they're either going to kill themselves or run away. The worst thing ever is for a teacher to have to shoot someone if that teacher's not mentally prepared for living with that.
On Soldiers Coming Back to Society After the War
I was out with a bunch of my former guys and they're all saying they had a hard time getting out too. It's tough. I mean you go from being military to civilian and we let our job identify who we are. It's heroic, it's honorable, and you're doing it for the greater good, and all of a sudden you don't have an identity. You have to learn a whole new way to act because you can't act the same way we do at work out in public. And people think you're a savage or somethin'. So it's hard to get your head around. You do and you adjust, but it takes a while. I've seen a lot of intiatives, people trying to do job training. Vets are given the priority as far as who's being hired first, and who's being on job training to get them read for that job. I think it's awesome.
On Fame
It's strange. It definitely makes you feel good when you got people coming up saying 'Hey, thanks, you really brighten my eyes.' Or 'I was going through the same thing and was glad to know someone else was going through it.' And opening people's eyes as far as look at the families too, it's not just the warriors - it's the families. I can't walk the (Gun) Show because I keep getting stopped by people 'Hey thanks, it's awesome.' I'm glad they're not wantin' to beat me up.
On watching the movie "Zero Dark Thirty"
I've heard from all the team guys that they're refusing to go watch it because it was supposed to be pro-Obama and falsifies some different stuff. But talking to some of the people who have actually seen it, they said it's not that way. ...I don't have much down time. If I do, I'm going to go hunt.
On the Media
I saw one (interview) when I walked in, it was with him (Piers Morgan) and Alex Jones. I'm not an Alex Jones supporter, but as far as his stance on that, I'm 100% in agreement. But he looked like an idiot by blowing up and doing that. (laughs) And he should have handled it a different way and I think his opinion might have resonated a little bit better. (cringes) Just a little . . . over the top.
~~~~~~~
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle tonight. Todd and I first met Chris in Pella, Iowa, when he helped out with security for the premiere of the film “The Undefeated.” And later we became friends with Chris when he was on “Stars Earn Stripes” with Todd. Chris was a wonderful man, a good friend, and a true American hero who loved our country and served honorably. He was loved and admired by so many, and he will never be forgotten.
- Todd and Sarah Palin on Facebook
Live by the gun, die by the gun.
~
dustinrorie on YouTube
Still waiting for Obama to come on TV and tell us the country lost a great man today.
Like when he had all the flags lowered when Specter died.)
Still waiting…..
Guess I’ll go brew some coffee…
Guess I could probably grow the plant, roast it, grind it and then brew it…
Still waiting…
~
John1776 on TheBlaze
Guns do not protect you against bullets.
~
xxdr zombiexx on Daily Kos
. . . In the last TWO years 32 former SEALs have died. And more than 100 prominent pro-gun activists have also been killed. Not exactly very subtle. The NRA was arguing JUST DAYS AGO that there was NEVER a shooting at a gun range. And then this happens???? Of course something is up.
America??? This IS your call to arms! It won't get any clearer or plainer or MORE OBVIOUS than this. The mass exterminations have already begun.
~
tvercetti1 on YouTube
If only there had been someone armed and fully trained to stop the lunatic killing these two guys . . . oh wait. This tragedy shows how pathetic the argument the NRA offered to solve gun violence is.
~
2011Walker on YouTube
Could the government make his planned murder more obvious? Jesus Christ, not subtle at all.
~
brenchtoast44 on YouTube
This guy took delight in blowing out other peoples brains. You live by the sword.......next!
~
VacManCan on Breitbart
It smells like revenge.
~
DianeWE on Breitbart
Indeed its sad, leaving two kids behind, but just wonder how many children are fatherless because of his actions in the Oil Wars, poetic justice?
~
MarkP. on Breitbart
I guarantee you one thing: This story will change several times before it ends. And it has already begun to do so. Different names, completely separate locations, alternate times, and number of victims. I no longer believe a thing I read and have become to think some "characters" are created by special ops complete with a back story for such type of "national tragedies" I was never a conspiracy nut, but am becoming one. If it is true that a fellow vet was slain, God rest his soul.
~
AmericanTruther on Breitbart
