The Military's Deadliest Sniper Ever Was Shot Point Blank Right Here At Home

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Chris Kyle was the most wanted man in Iraq a few short years ago and carried a bounty on his head--only to die today at a Dallas shooting range.

WFAA Dallas reports Kyle was at the range with a neighbor. The news is still unfolding, but apparently Kyle was shot point blank and his neighbor suffered wounds that also proved fatal.

Jessica Stanton at The Daily Caller dug this up:

The Empire Tribune in Stephenville, Texas reports that the suspect, Eddie Ray Routh, was captured in the town of Lancaster around 9:00 p.m. Law enforcement officials believe Routh is a “highly trained individual with military experience.”

Jack Murphy at the Special Operations Forces Situation Report (SOFREP) published a post regarding the tragic murders on Saturday night, reading in part: “Chris had been volunteering his time to help Marine Corps veterans suffering from PTSD and mentoring them. Part of this process involved taking these veterans to the range where one of them snapped and killed Chris and his neighbor for reasons that remain unknown at this time. The perpetrator then stole Chris’ vehicle in an attempt to escape but we have received word that the police have arrested him.”

During his 10-year stint as a Navy SEAL sniper, Chris Kyle was in every major battle of the Iraq war and was so effective at killing Iraqis that they called him "The Devil Of Ramadi" while placing an $80,000 bounty on his head.

Kyle spoke last year to Gary Buiso at the NY Post about his book "American Sniper," and offered a few details about what life was like as his sniper skills grew.

With up to 225 kills, his fellow SEAL Team 3 members called him "The Legend" and picked the comic book character The Punisher as their platoon's mascot.

His first kill was a woman about to throw a hand-grenade at a group of Marines. His most distant kill was from 2,100 yards away outside Sadr City in 2008.

He saw a man leveling a rocket launcher at an Army convoy and fired a single round from his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle with its Nightforce power scope.

From that distance, Kyle had to factor in terrain, wind, elevation, vibration from the shot, and even the Coriolis effect where the rotation of the earth affects where the bullet arrives.

On that day each of these factors conspired together and Kyle hit the man before he attacked the convoy. “God blew that bullet and hit him,” he told The Post.

Most recently, Kyle was the president of Craft International, a veteran operated company offering special operations training. Like many servicemembers, he left the military to preserve his marriage.

Ed. Note: RIP Chris