Young: 'American sniper' cut down by sick vet he helped

Chris Kyle

Texas law enforcement arrested the accused assassin of the best sniper ever deployed by the American military, gunned down Feb. 2 at an exclusive sportsman’s club in Glen Rose, Texas.

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Eddie Ray Routh was a troubled combat veteran Chris Kyle, the retired Navy SEAL, whose book “American Sniper” was trying to help, said Steven Young, the CEO of Craft International, the security consulting and training firm founded by Kyle. The book chronicles Kyle’s life in speicial operations and his four tours of Iraq, where he racked up more than 150 confirmed kills.

Eddie Ray Routh
Eddie Ray Routh

The commando was gunned dpwn along with his friend Chad Littlefield at the Rough Creek Resort and Lodge, while the two men were with Routh at the resort’s firing range. Routh is a Marine reservist, who deployed to Iraq and Haiti.

“We are all saddened by his tragic death. America lost one of its finest sons and a true patriot. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Kyle family” he said.

“Chris was also an extremely devoted family man – a wonderful husband and loving father. He gave so much of his time to charitable causes that assisted military personnel and their families and died while trying to help a struggling service member.

In addition to Craft International, Kyle co-founded FITCO Cares Foundation, and other charitable events benefiting wounded and disabled servicemen and women returning from combat, he said.

FITCO CEO Jason Kos said,”The FITCO Cares foundation will always carry the torch to help our brave men and women who have survived combat but are still fighting to survive post traumatic stress disorder.”

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Chris Kyle (1974-2013)

Kos said Kyle’s work goes on.

“Chris Kyle helped establish this foundation and we are committed to make sure his memory lives on forever,” he said.

Young said Kyle, who retired the Navy as a chief petty officer lived the values he professed.

“Chief Kyle lived by a personal motto that ‘it is our duty to serve those,who serve us,’ and he and Littlefield died honoring this creed,” he said.

“Above all else, Chief Kyle was a unique individual and an amazingly loving father, husband, son, brother, friend and devout Christian who had a profound effect on the lives of those he touched,” he said.

Chief Kyle was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with valor, two Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medals, and one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation, Young said.

“Chris was a true American hero having devoted his adult life to serving his country in combat as a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs and in training our military and law enforcement personnel after leaving the Navy,” he said.

Watch this local television report about Kyle’s murder:

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

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