Clint Eastwood’s 2014 biographical war movie, American Sniper, details the life of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL who was tragically killed years after returning home from the Iraq War. Kyle was one of the most legendary marksmen of all time, and the movie explores both the training that got him to that level and the mental toll that the experiences took on Kyle and his teammates. Bradley Cooper portrays Chris Kyle in American Sniper, and his performance earned praise from military experts, who noted that the intensity of the role, including American Sniper’s standout boot camp scene, is accurate.

American Sniper was both a critical and box office success at the time of its release, but American Sniper does include some changes to the real story outlined in Kyle’s autobiography. While Kyle’s time in the war was certainly harrowing and both physically and emotionally difficult, he returned home in 2009 to be with his family. His autobiography (also тιтled American Sniper) was published in 2012, but sadly, just one year later, Kyle’s life was tragically taken.

Chris Kyle Was Killed By Eddie Ray Routh At A Shooting Range In 2013

Kyle Was 38 Years Old

Just as the ending of American Sniper shows, Chris Kyle was sadly killed while back at home in Texas in 2013. Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield had arranged to pick up another veteran, a former Marine named Eddie Ray Routh, to go to the shooting range at Rough Creek Ranch. As the movie outlines, while dealing with PTSD, Kyle began working with other veterans, eventually leading him to meet Routh. The shooting range was supposed to be a way for Kyle and other veterans to adjust to civilian life.

In fact, Routh’s mother had specifically reached out to Kyle because of her concerns about her son’s mental well-being. According to Newsweek, Routh’s mother knew the Kyles because she worked at the school their children attended and was aware of Chris Kyle’s work to help veterans cope with PTSD. However, when Kyle and Littlefield picked Routh up, they immediately knew something was wrong and texted each other about it. The two men were right to be on edge around Routh, as both were sH๏τ and killed shortly after arriving at the shooting range.

Why Routh Killed Chris Kyle & Chad Littlefield

A Fellow Veteran, Routh Suffered From PTSD

Prior to meeting Kyle and Littlefield, Eddie Ray Routh had already been diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses. According to The Washington Post, Routh “had been in and out of mental hospitals for at least two years before their encounter.” According to those same reports, Routh had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis. Routh’s interactions with various medical and mental health pracтιтioners were extensive and well documented, but, despite his erratic behavior, sadly, the treatments did not work.

Routh’s family, as well as other psychiatric documentation, attests to the fact that Eddie Ray Routh was also suffering from PTSD. During the Iraq War, Routh had been stationed “60 miles north of Baghdad, where he repaired weapons and worked as a prison guard” before being sent “to Haiti on a humanitarian mission” (via Newsweek). After his time in the military, Routh was prescribed medication but stopped taking it. On top of this, Routh had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana shortly before meeting with Kyle and Littlefield, which made his behavior even more erratic.

While the clearest reasons for Routh murdering Kyle and Littlefield seem to be related to his mental health diagnoses, Routh gave other reasons for killing the men. After being arrested, Routh told Erath County sheriff’s deputy Gene Cole that he “sH๏τ them because they wouldn’t talk to me,” (via The Washington Post). Routh also stated, “I knew if I did not take his soul, he was going to take mine” about Kyle, again indicating he wasn’t in a mentally stable place (via Newsweek).

What Happened To Eddie Ray Routh After Killing Chris Kyle & Chad Littlefield

Routh Was Quickly Found Guilty

Routh’s trial for the murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield began on February 11, 2015, two years after the killings. During the trial, Routh’s defense attorneys argued that he should not be charged because he was insane when he committed the murders. In contrast, the prosecution used a forensic psychologist to argue that Routh did not truly have schizophrenia but rather paranoid personality disorder. As a result, the prosecutors argued that his actions were the result of drug and alcohol abuse.

The jury began deliberating on February 24, 2015, and returned a verdict just two hours later (via Newsweek). The jury found Eddie Ray Routh guilty of the murders of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Routh was then sentenced to life in prison without parole, and he remains in prison in Texas today. By the time of Routh’s criminal trial, American Sniper had already been released, prompting even more people to sympathize with Chris Kyle’s story, though he was already well-known before then and his funeral was attended by hundreds.

Sources: Newsweek, The Washington Post