‘American Sniper’ author Chris Kyle fatally shot at gun range

Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, author of the bestselling memoir “American Sniper,” was shot and killed Saturday in an incident at a shooting range in Texas for reasons that are not yet clear.

Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, were found dead around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. A suspect, 25 year-old Eddie Ray Routh, has been arrested and charged in connection with the slayings.

Kyle’s book “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” written with Scott McEwan and Jim DeFelice, was published in January 2012 by William Morrow. The book soon moved onto bestseller lists, in no small part due to Kyle’s confident, charismatic persona. He made a wide range of appearances, including Conan O’Brien, the Fellowship Church and Time magazine.

The book chronicled Kyle’s 10 years serving in the military; during that time, he officially logged 150 kills, beating the previous American record by nearly a third. One notable kill in Baghdad was made from 2,100 yards away. “American Sniper” included passages by his wife, Taya, about the pressure that the war puts on families.

In January, Guns.com posted a video interview with Kyle in which he spoke out against gun control legislation proposed in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., shootings in December.

January also saw the paperback release of “American Sniper.” Since the news of his death has been reported, the book has climbed to No. 5 on Amazon’s bestseller list.

Kyle is survived by his wife and their two children.

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