Updated 9:26 AM EST, Sun February 3, 2013
A former Navy SEAL, author of the best-selling autobiography "American Sniper," was one of two people killed Saturday at a gun range, authorities said.Chris Kyle, 38, who declared himself the "most lethal sniper in U.S. history," was killed along with 35-year-old Chad Littlefield on Saturday afternoon in Glen Rose, Texas, southwest of Fort Worth, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Police arrested suspect Eddie Ray Routh, 25, after a brief pursuit. He is facing two counts of capital murder, the department said.
Kyle, an outspoken advocate for war veterans, claimed more than 150 sniper killings in Iraq, which he described as a record for any American. He said insurgents placed a bounty on his head and nicknamed him "the devil."
He appeared last year on the NBC reality show "Stars Earn Stripes," in which competitors took on missions based on military exercises. "He was a man of incredible character, he led by example," Jason Kos, a friend of Kyle's, told CNN. "He always stopped to take time to talk to whoever was around him. Just incredibly humble, very funny as well."
Kyle helped establish the nonprofit Fitco Cares Foundaion to enable veterans battling post-traumatic stress syndrome get access to exercise equipment.
In a statement, the foundation described Kyle as an "American hero" and pledged to carry on his mission.
Kyle served four combat tours in Iraq and received two Silver Stars, among other commendations. He left the Navy in 2009.
During an interview with Time magazine last year, Kyle defended his decision to write a book despite the secretive nature of the SEAL world. "It's kind of frowned on," he told the magazine. "But I'm not trying to glorify myself. I didn't want to put the number of kills I had in there. I wanted to get it out about the sacrifices military families have to make."
He said that while killing did not come easy at first, he knew it meant saving lives. "The first time, you're not even sure you can do it," he said in the interview. "But I'm not over there looking at these people as people. I'm not wondering if he has a family. I'm just trying to keep my guys safe. Every time I kill someone, he can't plant an (improvised explosive device). You don't think twice about it."
Before becoming a sniper, Kyle was a Texas rodeo cowboy. He started shooting as a child during hunting trips with his father.
After leaving the military, he founded Craft International, a military training company.
His bio on the company website says that in addition to working with the SEALs, he served with units in the Army and Marines.
His combat experience includes close-quarters battle, desert patrols and training foreign allies, it says.