Chris Kyle was a dedicated father, a decorated former Navy SEAL sniper and generous man.
Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were killed by a troubled veteran at a North Texas gun range last weekend, the AP reports. Kyle's funeral was held Tuesday.
Since their deaths, several funds have been established in memory of the victims and to benefit veterans with PTSD, according to the Dallas News.
Craft International, a security training company that Kyle founded, has set up two trust funds that go towards the affected families and their children. FITCO Cares, a nonprofit Kyle started that helps wounded veterans receive at-home fitness equipment, plans on expanding their efforts to help veterans with PTSD on behalf of Kyle, Travis L. Cox, the organization’s director, said in a statement.
On Feb. 2, Kyle and Littlefield were at a shooting range with Iraq veteran Eddie Ray Routh, 25, allegedly turned his weapon on the men and shot them to death before fleeing, according to the New York Times. The men were reportedly helping Routh who reportedly suffers from PTSD, according to the AP.
A memorial service held at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, drew a crowd of nearly 7,000 people to mourn Kyle's death, according to the AP. A 200-mile procession from Kyle's hometown to a cemetery in Austin, Texas, preceded the service held today, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The 38-year-old father of two was remembered as the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history, according to the New York Times.
He was also generous.
Kyle donated the proceeds of his bestselling book, “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History” to the families of two fallen Navy SEAL members, Ryan Job and Marc Lee, according to the news outlet.
“I was speechless, overwhelmed and in tears,” Lee’s mother, Debbie Lee, said at Kyle’s memorial, according to the Times. “Chris didn’t publish that book for an income or to be famous. He hated the spotlight. Chris did that for his teammates.”
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