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More: RT @littlebytesnews: #tcot #tgdn #SOT #RIP ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle reported murdered at Texas shooting lodge #BREAKING:suspect in custody http://www.twylah.com/littlebytesnews/tweets/297921365783232512

How horrific to hear this about such a brave and valiant American Hero. Why would one of our own do this...unless this person is another Nidal Hasan or jealous and mentally deranged??

Updates below:

Latest:

You can donate to his family: http://www.americasmightywarriors.org/

The motive for the shootings remains unclear, Bryant said. "Not a clue, absolutely no idea."

WFAA/Channel 8 quoted unnamed sources as saying that Kyle, who lived in Midlothian, and a neighbor had taken Routh on an outing to help him deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Routh turned on the men and shot them in the back, the report said.

The sheriff said he could not confirm how the victims were shot.

In January 2012, the Cleburne Times-Review reported that Routh, of Lancaster, was arrested in Johnson County on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Public records show that Routh previously lived in Camp LeJeune, N.C., a major Marine base.

 He tried to join the Navy in 1996 but was rejected after a physical exam revealed pins in his arm from a rodeo injury.

Three years later, Kyle was working on a ranch in Colorado when a Navy recruiter called. He was trained as a sniper and served 10 years.

He never disclosed exactly how many enemy combatants he shot, but the Pentagon certified more than 150 of his kills during four tours in Iraq. Some news reports credited him with up to 255. His confirmed kills exceeded the exploits of legendary Marine Carlos Hathcock, whom Kyle called "the best sniper in the world." Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills in Vietnam.

In all, Kyle was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

"I don't care about the medals," Kyle told the Star-Telegram in a 2012 interview. "I didn't do it for the money or the awards. I did it because I felt like it was something that needed to be done and it was honorable. I loved the guys."

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.

During the second battle of Fallujah, Kyle said, he killed about 40 insurgents. He shot several through an apartment window while lying atop an overturned baby crib.

From a second-story perch in Ramadi, Kyle spotted two men approaching on a motor scooter. As it slowed, the rider in back dropped a backpack into a pothole, setting an improvised explosive device.

As the scooter sped up, Kyle fired once from about 200 yards, taking aim at "center mass," the middle of the body.

"Like a laser," he said of his .300 Winchester Magnum. With the men still seated upright, the scooter wobbled, veered and crashed into a wall. "Bullet went through both of them," Kyle said.

"The taxpayer got good bang for his buck on that one," he wrote.

The deadliest sniper in U.S. military history was scheduled to speak Feb. 27 at Tarrant County College Northwest Campus in Fort Worth. The four-hour presentation, "Preparing a Warrior's Heart," was to cover having the "mindset" for survival, being prepared for a fight and "being OK in the aftermath."

Kyle wrote in American Sniper that he had zero remorse for his combat kills. Every person he shot, he said, was trying to harm Americans or Iraqis loyal to the new government.

As the son of a deacon, as a husband and as a protective father of two young children, Kyle wrote, "I can stand before God with a clear conscience about doing my job."

 Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/02/4596024/militarys-deadliest-sniper-killed.html#storylink=cpy 

After leaving the Navy in 2009 he founded Craft International,http://www.thecraft.com/AboutUs.html  a company that provided combat and weapons training to military, police and corporate and civilian clients.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046849/chris-kyle-ex-us-navy-seal-sniper-shot-dead

Videos with Chris Kyle

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/03/flashback-watch-legendary-seal-sniper-chris-kyle-in-action-on-nbcs-reality-show-stars-earn-stripes/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Kyle was born in Odessa and was using a rifle at the age of eight, according to his book. He moved to North Texas after retiring from the Navy in 2009 and was president of Craft International, which provides training to military and law enforcement.

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Famed-Navy-SEAL-Chris-Kyle-shot-killed-in-N-Texas-189539281.html

It is reported that Chris served four tours in Iraq, according to WFAA:

Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who became known as the deadliest U.S. sniper, was one of two men murdered on Saturday at a gun range in Erath County.

Three sources confirmed to News 8 that Kyle — who served in every major battle during Operation Iraqi Freedom — was among the shooting victims at Rough Creek Lodge, 53 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

The identity of the second victim was not available late Saturday night.

Eddie Routh, 25, is in custody in connection with the shootings.

Investigators said Routh, a former Marine who is said to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, is believed to have turned his weapon on Kyle and the second victim, killing them both at point-blank range.

An alert was issued for Routh, who was later captured after a short pursuit in Lancaster, south of Dallas.

Routh is believed to be highly trained with military experience

While serving in Iraq, insurgents placed a bounty on Kyle's head because of his lethal accuracy as a sniper. He recounted his experiences in "American Sniper," published last year. It details Kyle's sniper days killing insurgents from 1999 to 2009.

The book's cover refers to Kyle as "the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history," with 160 confirmed kills.

Kyle, 39, was born in Odessa, Texas and was using a rifle at the age of 8, according to his book.

He served four tours of duty in Iraq and was twice wounded by gunfire.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/rough-creek-189536271.html

The Empire Tribune reports:

A former Tarleton State University student who wrote the best-selling book, "American Sniper," was one of two victims shot and killed at Rough Creek Lodge Saturday. 

Chris Kyle, 38, and another man were found dead at Rough Creek's shooting range between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday, according to Sheriff Tommy Bryant.

Eddie Ray Routh, an Iraqi war veteran, was arrested hours later after a manhunt led authorities to Lancaster where Routh was taken into custody just before 9 p.m. Saturday.

Routh, 25, is expected to be charged with capital murder.

Investigators had not released the name of the second victim at press time, but reports indicate he may have been Routh's neighbor. 

Bryant said the three men were at the shooting range Saturday when Routh shot the victims at point-blank range before fleeing in Kyle's truck.

Kyle was a former Navy SEAL who served four tours of duty in Iraq, where he was given the nickname "The Devil of Ramadi" by insurgents. 

In 2008, he made his longest successful shot after he spotted an insurgent with a rocket launcher near a U.S. Army convoy at a range of 2,100 yards (1.2 miles). 

Kyle was recently honored by the Tarleton Alumni Association as the Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2013.  

 http://www.yourstephenvilletx.com/news/local/article_01e35c44-6dab-11e2-a2e9-0019bb2963f4.html

More:

Kyle was well-known both in his field and by the media, earning the nickname of “the devil of Ramadi” by insurgents, and “America’s deadliest sniper” at home.

You may remember the time he punched former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura in the face.

Kyle served four tours of duty in Iraq and had 160 kills as a Navy SEAL, NBC DFW reports.

http://patdollard.com/2013/02/navy-seal-who-punched-jesse-ventura-author-of-the-book-american-sniper-killed/

Check back for updates!

Update:

Reporting on the shootings, the Stephenville Empire-Tribune said Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant would not discuss the victims. But the newspaper said that a source working at Rough Creek Lodge, which has a gun range at which the newspaper reported the slayings occurred, confirmed that one of the victims was Kyle.

WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported that Kyle was shot point-blank while helping another soldier who is recovering from post traumatic stress syndrome.

The suspect was believed to be highly trained with military experience. The shooting location is 53 miles southwest of Fort Worth, according to WFAA.

Kyle grew up in Texas and spent much of his time riding horses and participating on the school rodeo team. His life quickly changed when he decided to go into the military and became a Navy SEAL. He deployed four times to Iraq. Kyle held the record for number of kills by an American sniper. The Pentagon has confirmed more than 150 of his kills. The previous record was 109. For his service, Kyle was awarded two Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars with Valor.

“When I grew up, I only had two dreams,” he told The News in January 2012. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20120104-record-breaking-navy-sniper-living-in-dallas-area-recalls-iraq-tours.ece

“One was to be a cowboy and another was to be in the military. I grew up extremely patriotic and riding horses. I went to college and was working at a ranch up there. Sun up, sun down, I was in a saddle. By the time I was 24, I decided it was time to go into the military and try it out. It wasn’t exactly the SEALs I was looking for at the time. I just wanted to go into the military and be the best.”

Kyle said he wrote his book because, “I wanted to be able to let people know about the sacrifices that not only people in the service make, but what their families go through. I knew this would give me a voice so I could speak about the guys I know who were killed. I wanted to get their story out and I wanted to raise awareness for veterans.”

“It is so hard becoming a civilian. When you are in the military, everything you do is for the greater good. And as a civilian, everything you do is for your own good. When you’re in the military, you are facing life and death every day. And then you come home and hear people who are unhappy about the little things. And you think, are you kidding me? Two weeks ago, I was shot. And this is your problem. …They train us how to become warriors, but then they don’t teach us and train us how to become businessmen.”

 http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/lancaster-police-arrest-man-in-connection-with-double-slaying-in-erath-county.html/