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View Full Version : Former Navy SEAL shot and killed at Texas shooting range.



US Marine
02-06-2013, 10:47 PM
Well, im deployed, and news comes late. I found out last night that this event has happened, just wondering what you all think about the situation.

What should happen to the shooter, what could of been done to prevent such a bad situation? Thoughts?

Being a service member this hits me hard, personally I think that was no way for him and his friend to go. A well decorated war hero and his friend are out helping people with PTSD by relieving stress at a shooting range.. Shot and killed by a man he was trying to help. I honestly think, if the guy claims the PTSD did it.. He will get away. Do you think he will get away?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/03/navy-seal-chris-kyle-fatally-shot-at-texas-shooting-range-report-says/


Chris Kyle, a former U.S. Navy SEAL credited with the largest number of confirmed kills, was one of two people fatally shot at a North Texas shooting range Saturday, Texas Highway Patrol confirmed to Fox News.

Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned early Sunday on two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at the shooting range about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Capt. Jason Upshaw with the Erath County Sheriff's Office said Routh used a semi-automatic handgun, which authorities later found at his home. Upshaw said ballistics tests weren't complete Sunday, but authorities believe the gun was used in the shootings. Upshaw declined to give any more details about the gun.

Routh has not made any comments indicating what his motive may have been, Upshaw said. Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Routh was unemployed and "may have been suffering from some type of mental illness from being in the military himself," but he didn't know if Routh was on any medication.

"I don't know that we'll ever know. He's the only one that knows that," Upshaw said.

The U.S. military confirmed Sunday that Routh was a corporal in the Marines, serving in active duty from 2006 to 2010. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Haiti in 2010. His current duty status is listed as reserve.

Routh is being held on $3 million bond. Authorities did not know whether Routh had a lawyer yet.

Kyle, a decorated veteran, 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. Kyle said in his book that Iraqi insurgents had put a bounty on his head. According to promotional information from book publisher William Morrow, Kyle deployed to Iraq four times.

Bryant said the trio went to the shooting range around 3:15 p.m. Saturday. A hunting guide came across the bodies of Kyle and Littlefield around 5 p.m. and called 911.

Upshaw said autopsies were still pending and he could not say how many times the men were shot or where on their bodies they were hit.

After the shootings, Routh left the shooting range in Kyle's black pickup truck, Bryant said, first going to his sister's home in Midlothian, where he told her and her husband what he had done. The couple called local police.

Routh arrived at his home in Lancaster, about 17 miles southeast of Dallas, at about 8 p.m. Police arrested him after a brief pursuit and took him to the Lancaster Police Department.

Travis Cox, the director of a nonprofit Kyle helped found, told the Associated Press on Sunday that Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the range. Littlefield was Kyle's neighbor and "workout buddy," Cox said.

"What I know is Chris and a gentleman -- great guy, I knew him well, Chad Littlefield -- took a veteran out shooting who was struggling with PTSD to try to assist him, try to help him, try to, you know, give him a helping hand and he turned the gun on both of them, killing them," Cox said.

A knock on the door at Routh's last known address went unanswered Sunday. A for-sale sign was in front of the small, wood-framed home.

Kyle's nonprofit, FITCO Cares, provides at-home fitness equipment for emotionally and physically wounded veterans.

"Chris was literally the type of guy if you were a veteran and needed help he'd help you," Cox said. "And from my understanding that's what happened here. I don't know how he came in contact with this gentleman, but I do know that it was not through the foundation."

Cox described Littlefield as a gentle, kind-hearted man who often called or emailed him with ideas for events or fundraisers to help veterans. He said he was married and had children.

"It was just two great guys with Chad and Chris trying to help out a veteran in need and making time out of their day to help him. And to give him a hand. And unfortunately this thing happened," Cox said.

Bryant seemed to confirm that scenario. The sheriff said Routh's mother "may have reached out to Mr. Kyle to try to help her son."

"We kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range for some type of therapy that Mr. Kyle assists people with. And I don't know if it's called shooting therapy, I don't have any idea," Bryant said.

Lt. Cmdr. Rorke Denver, who served with Kyle on SEAL Team 3 in Iraq in 2006, called Kyle a champion of the modern battlefield. Denver wasn't surprised that Kyle apparently used a shooting range to help someone with PTSD.

"For us, for warriors, that's a skill set that has become very familiar, very comfortable for us," said Denver, a lieutenant commander in a reserve SEAL team. His book "Damn Few," about training SEALs, will be released this month. "So I actually see it as kind of a perfect use of Chris' unique skill set and expertise of which he has very few peers."

Craft International, Kyle's security training company, had scheduled a $2,950-per-person civilian training event at Rough Creek Lodge called the "Rough Creek Shoot Out!" for March 1-3. The price included lodging, meals and shooting instruction. Kyle was scheduled to teach the first class, called "precision rifle."

Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children, Cox said.


Im didnt see any other threads about this, if there is, my bad and delete this one.

Thanks
<3 Marine.

Rincewind
02-06-2013, 10:49 PM
This sucks, condolences to the family.

But was taking a guy with PTSD to the shooting range such a good idea? It might re-awaken previous trauma.

Kyle Undefined
02-06-2013, 11:10 PM
Chris Kyle was an American hero. He did so much for this country. A true badass.

klae17
02-06-2013, 11:53 PM
Just talking about this to a former Seal Sniper. Some scary stuff is happening out there. My Seal friend had the feds come to his house trying to take his guns away and he refused. He just talked to Chris a week or two ago about the same thing happening to their other buddies. I find it hard to believe a trained assassin will be so easily taken down.

US Marine
02-07-2013, 12:24 AM
This sucks, condolences to the family.

But was taking a guy with PTSD to the shooting range such a good idea? It might re-awaken previous trauma.

Well, Kyle was a war hero. He had seen some stuff, and lived it everyday. Im sure he knows how to deal with PTSD. He had also helped out many other vets before this one. It just got out of hand somewhere.


Just talking about this to a former Seal Sniper. Some scary stuff is happening out there. My Seal friend had the feds come to his house trying to take his guns away and he refused. He just talked to Chris a week or two ago about the same thing happening to their other buddies. I find it hard to believe a trained assassin will be so easily taken down.

Interesting mate.. But hard to believe. Like to see them try to take my guns away. ;)

rj
02-07-2013, 12:32 AM
Sad story, it would be a shame if the lamestream media used this for anti-gun propaganda.

Thanatos
02-07-2013, 01:54 AM
Sad story, it would be a shame if the lamestream media used this for anti-gun propaganda.

They will use just about anything for anti-gun propaganda

rj
02-07-2013, 02:08 AM
They will use just about anything for anti-gun propaganda

Heres how the story would come out (exaggerated)

FOX news:
Same as above(report is from Fox)

CNN:

A murderous, dangerous psychopathic killer was taken too a gun range by two veterans with extremely deadly assault firearms. The psychopathic killer proceeded to brutally execute the two defenseless veterans at gun point ruthlessly killing them and shooting them multiple times. When he was done with his murderous deed he was taken into custody and his assault dangerous guns were taken away. This leads many Americans to the question: Should we ban firearms?



That's why I don't watch the lamestream media. Here is a humerus program to illustrate it:

Program LameStreamMedia;
{$I News/NBC}
{$I News/CNN}
{$I News/FoxNews}
{$I News/ABC}
{$I News/RushLimbaugh}
Const
Report = '';
Var
BiasedScale:Integer;
Procedure ShowStats;
Begin
Writeln(Report + ' has a biasedscale of ' + BiasedScale + '!');
End;
Procedure Report;
Begin
Case LowerCase(Report) Of
'NBC':
Begin
BiasedScale := 6;
end;
'CNN':
Begin
BiasedScale := 9;
End;
'FoxNews':
Begin
BiasedScale := 8;
End;
'Rush Limbaugh':
Begin
BiasedScale := 564563644563;
End;
End;
End;
Begin
SetupNBC;
SetupCNN;
SetupFoxNews;
SetupABS;
SetupRushlimbaugh
Report;
ShowStats;
End.

Neznam
02-07-2013, 02:19 AM
This is ridiculous. To blame this on PTSD is infuriating. I find it hard to believe a vetran soldier took a mentaly "unstable" man to the gun range. If he was mentally unstable there is no way this wouldn't have been a huge warning NOT to take him to the gun range.

He should be found guilty and given the death sentence. Hopefully they have those in that state, I'm thinking they do in texas.

US Marine
02-07-2013, 03:17 AM
This is ridiculous. To blame this on PTSD is infuriating. I find it hard to believe a vetran soldier took a mentaly "unstable" man to the gun range. If he was mentally unstable there is no way this wouldn't have been a huge warning NOT to take him to the gun range.

He should be found guilty and given the death sentence. Hopefully they have those in that state, I'm thinking they do in texas.

Death row is in Texas, I lived there my whole life.
If two or more people see you do the crime, you go to the front of the line instead of waiting.

Ian
02-07-2013, 03:34 AM
This is ridiculous. To blame this on PTSD is infuriating. I find it hard to believe a vetran soldier took a mentaly "unstable" man to the gun range. If he was mentally unstable there is no way this wouldn't have been a huge warning NOT to take him to the gun range.

He should be found guilty and given the death sentence. Hopefully they have those in that state, I'm thinking they do in texas.

Well why do you think he did it? As far as I can tell, there was no motivation for the killing, and I would say that PTSD played a large role in what happened. Would his death really please you that much?

Also, as for you not believing that that veteran soldier took him to the gun range, the retired sniper was well known for his theory that spending time with old comrades at a shooting range was therapeutic to mental illness, so this seems like it would be logical from his point of view.

Neznam
02-07-2013, 05:00 AM
Well why do you think he did it? As far as I can tell, there was no motivation for the killing, and I would say that PTSD played a large role in what happened. Would his death really please you that much?

Also, as for you not believing that that veteran soldier took him to the gun range, the retired sniper was well known for his theory that spending time with old comrades at a shooting range was therapeutic to mental illness, so this seems like it would be logical from his point of view.

Yes I know he liked to treat mental illness by going to the gun range but like I stated, to blame it on PTSD he had to be mentally "unstable" to do what he did. Unstable people are usually easy to spot by professionals, which is why I said I doubt a vetran soldier couldn't tell his client was UNSTABLE and took him to the gun range by giving him a gun, escpesially since he's done this before that means he can tell who he can trust with a gun and who he cant. People can have PTSD but be stable. Also think logically, would you give, a raging mental case, a knife or a gun or any weapon? Obviously no because he will use it to kill whatever paranoid dellusion he sees in others around him.

Now as to the motive, I can speculate what he was thinking and why he had done this by saying maybe he's a psychopath and likes to inflict pain and or kill. Some join the army/navy etc just for the chance to kill someone(yea its f***ed up).

I still say you dont normally just take someone to the gun range that you don't know and give them a gun. And if this vetran soldier DID this so carelessly, then f*** it and he got what was bound to happen sooner or later for his stupidity.

If its proven he was mentally unstable, I'll have a different opinion. Then obviously he needs to be looked up in a psych hospital because its bount to happen again. I still think he wasn't and needs to pay.

grats
02-07-2013, 05:37 AM
shoot him imo, eye for an eye

US Marine
02-07-2013, 05:50 AM
I still say you dont normally just take someone to the gun range that you don't know and give them a gun. And if this vetran soldier DID this so carelessly, then f*** it and he got what was bound to happen sooner or later for his stupidity.


Well.. Seeing as he has does this many times before, and is a regular at this range, it seems he knew exactly what he was doing. He didnt just pick this guy up off the streets and hand him a weapon. I say there was a motive, maybe just a plain twisted guy. As for him 'getting what was bound to happen sooner or later for his stupidity' seems a little jacked up. First off, it was not stupidity, it was kindness.. Second, no one deserves that, even if you believe they are being 'stupid' about it.

Neznam
02-07-2013, 06:21 AM
shoot him imo, eye for an eye

This


Well.. Seeing as he has does this many times before, and is a regular at this range, it seems he knew exactly what he was doing. He didnt just pick this guy up off the streets and hand him a weapon. I say there was a motive, maybe just a plain twisted guy. As for him 'getting what was bound to happen sooner or later for his stupidity' seems a little jacked up. First off, it was not stupidity, it was kindness.. Second, no one deserves that, even if you believe they are being 'stupid' about it.

Im saying if, it's like you're skimming through what I write and not actually reading.

It IS stupidity if he didn't take safety precaution by first examening the stability of his clients. It's common sense. You don't just give a weapon to someone, you first need to get to know them. I'm saying its stupidity IF he didn't do this, again.

It is also extrmely kind to try to help others yes, but you still need to take extra precaution when around guns. And yea no one deserves that but a lot of accidents ARE preventable. People are just careless and it has to take a horrible accident for them to see the error in their ways, which is quite unfortunate.

masterBB
02-07-2013, 05:02 PM
shoot him imo, eye for an eye

An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind.

grats
02-07-2013, 07:56 PM
An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind.

Good, however it's been used in ancient cities and worked just fine.. I don't steal, I would maybe be the only one left

masterBB
02-07-2013, 08:04 PM
Sacrificing kids when it didn't rain also worked fine for them.

Anyway, I do not think he should walk away freely. He needs to be jailed for our protection, because clearly he is either insane or has no morals. When somebody does a crime you can either punish them (or even take revenge) or try to fix their morals which apparently weren't given by their parents.

In this case he is to dangerous to walk on the streets. He is to sick in his head to correct him. But take his life? What is the difference between what he is and what we are if we both solve our problems by taking lives away? Lets put him in a cell and never let him go again.

klae17
02-09-2013, 02:42 AM
Well, Kyle was a war hero. He had seen some stuff, and lived it everyday. Im sure he knows how to deal with PTSD. He had also helped out many other vets before this one. It just got out of hand somewhere.



Interesting mate.. But hard to believe. Like to see them try to take my guns away. ;)

Well when Feds come to your house and demanding to look at your guns.. Scary stuff. He now sleeps with more guns... LOL

Wardancer
02-13-2013, 02:59 AM
My stance might seem a bit extreme and radical to a few people here, but what about not judging the suspect (or the victims) of the crime while we don't know any of the details?

In such a case, my first thought goes to the families of the victims.

My second one goes to a few comments here that demand blood, but I'll keep my thoughts to myself. However, I'm sure this could be an interesting conversation if a thread dedicated to punitive law was made, but this isn't the appropriate medium.

I encourage others to do the same and not derail the topic further. Let's not forget some people died and that this shouldn't be taken lightly.