Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle, Former Navy SEAL, Killed at Gun Range

A former Navy SEAL from Odessa was killed Sunday at a Glen Rose shooting range by a former Marine.

Chris Kyle, 38, had served in the Navy from 1999 to 2009 as a SEAL team 3 sniper and holds the title of the most lethal sniper in US Military History with 160 confirmed kills and 255 recorded.

His exceptional performance earned him the nickname “The Devil of Ramadi”.

After leaving the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer in 2009, Kyle lived in Midlothian, Texas where he began his own company training military, police, civilians and private security. He also wrote an autobiographical book titled American Sniper.

Kyle also spent time helping other veterans overcome their PTSD, and it is believed that is what brought him and his suspected shooter together.

Former Marine, 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh, of Lancaster, joined Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend, 35-year-old Chad Littlefield, at a Glen Rose shooting range as an activity where the two men were attempting to help Routh deal with his PTSD.

According to authorities, Routh killed Kyle and Littlefield with a semi-automatic handgun at the Rough Creek Lodge shooting range, and left before authorities arrived.

Police say Routh then drove to his sister’s home and confessed his crime to her and his brother-in-law. They called the authorities after he left.

Routh ran from authorities in Kyle’s F-350 in a high speed chase that ended when Routh drove the pickup into a police vehicle.

Eddie Routh is now being held on 3-million-dollars bond.

Sgt. Lonny Haschel with the Texas Department of Public Safety said police do not yet have a motive in the case and Routh has not made any comments as to what his motives were.

Routh is currently under suicide watch.