Chris Kyle

Christopher Scott Kyle (April 8, 1974 – February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL sniper and author. He served four tours in the Iraq War. With a claim of 160 confirmed kills in combat, he is one of the most prolific snipers in military history. Kyle was awarded one Silver Star and three Bronze Star medals with "V" devices for valor, in addition to three service medals. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009, and published his bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, in 2012. His autobiography contains several incidents that are unverifiable or that appear to have been fabricated, including shootings in New Orleans and Dallas, and he was sued by Jesse Ventura for defamation. In 2013, Kyle was murdered by Eddie Ray Routh at the Rough Creek Lodge shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas. Routh, a former Marine, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. A film adaptation of Kyle's book, directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle, was posthumously released in 2014.