Chris Kyle, celebrated as the “American Sniper,” was a legend in the U.S. military for his unparalleled skill and bravery in Iraq. His autobiography, American Sniper, became a bestseller, further cementing his status as a national hero. However, the life of this decorated Navy SEAL tragically ended on February 2, 2013. The question of How Did Chris Kyle Die is not just about the act itself, but the complex circumstances and the troubled individual responsible for it. This article delves into the events leading to his death, the mental state of his killer, Eddie Ray Routh, and the broader questions it raises about mental health care for veterans.
The Day of the Tragedy: February 2, 2013
The day Chris Kyle died began with Eddie Ray Routh, a 25-year-old former Marine, waking up in his parents’ home in Lancaster, Texas. Routh was grappling with severe mental health issues, initially diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but exhibiting symptoms that suggested a more profound condition. He was deeply 불안한, even believing his coworkers were cannibals, making it impossible for him to drive himself to work. His mother, Jodi Routh, became his caretaker, driving him to and from his job at a cabinet shop. Jodi lived in constant fear for her son’s life, haunted by the possibility of finding him having taken his own life.
On the morning of February 1, the day before the shooting, Routh’s anxiety was palpable. He asked his mother to pray with him in the parking lot of the cabinet shop, expressing concern for his parents’ well-being. Unbeknownst to Jodi, who was planning a weekend away, Routh was scheduled to go to a shooting range the next day with Chris Kyle and Kyle’s friend, Chad Littlefield.
February 2, 2013, dawned with a sense of normalcy quickly overshadowed by tragedy. Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield intended to spend the afternoon at Rough Creek Lodge, a resort featuring a shooting range, with Eddie Ray Routh. Kyle, known for his dedication to helping veterans, aimed to provide support and camaraderie to Routh, who Jodi had hoped Kyle could assist.
Eddie Ray Routh’s State of Mind
Chris Kyle was aware that Eddie Ray Routh was struggling. On the drive to Rough Creek Lodge, Kyle texted Littlefield, “This dude is straight-up nuts.” Littlefield, ever vigilant, replied, “He’s right behind me, watch my six.” These chilling texts, exchanged moments before the fatal shooting, reveal Kyle’s awareness of Routh’s unstable state and Littlefield’s characteristic caution.
The Trip to Rough Creek Lodge
Rough Creek Lodge, a sprawling 11,000-acre resort, offered a secluded shooting range designed with Kyle’s input. Around 3 PM, Kyle, Littlefield, and Routh arrived at the range, raising a red Bravo flag to signal their presence. The afternoon was meant to be therapeutic, a way for Routh to engage in a familiar activity with supportive figures. However, the reality turned horrific.
The Shooting and Discovery
Two hours later, a lodge employee arrived at the range to a gruesome scene. Chris Kyle lay dead, face down, having been shot six times with a .45-caliber pistol, a fatal wound piercing his aorta. Chad Littlefield was also deceased, shot seven times with a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun engraved with a Navy insignia. Both weapons belonged to Chris Kyle. Eddie Ray Routh had used Kyle’s own guns to kill him and Chad Littlefield, ending the life of the “American Sniper” and his friend in a shocking act of violence.
Who Was Eddie Ray Routh? Mental Illness and the VA’s Role
To understand how did Chris Kyle die, it is crucial to understand Eddie Ray Routh. Routh was not simply a “bad guy with a gun,” as some narratives portrayed him. He was a young man battling severe mental illness, potentially exacerbated by his military service and, arguably, inadequately treated by the Veterans Affairs (VA) system.
Routh’s Background and Mental Health History
Eddie Ray Routh served in the Marines, with a deployment to Iraq in 2007 and a humanitarian mission to Haiti in 2010. While his combat experience was limited, his time in Haiti, where he claimed to have handled corpses, including babies, profoundly disturbed him. Upon returning from Haiti, his mother noticed a significant change, describing him as “just so messed up.”
In July 2011, Routh sought help at the Dallas VA, complaining of a non-existent tapeworm. This marked the beginning of his documented mental health struggles with the VA. He was initially diagnosed with PTSD and prescribed antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. However, his condition continued to deteriorate.
VA Diagnoses and Treatment
Despite the PTSD diagnosis, Routh exhibited symptoms that pointed towards a more serious condition. He was hospitalized at the Dallas VA in August 2011 after threatening suicide. Clinical notes from this period explicitly described him as “psychotic.” He voiced paranoid delusions, believing he was part of a game and that he was being watched.
Throughout 2012, Routh’s paranoia and hallucinations worsened. He believed the government was spying on him and reported auditory hallucinations. He had further conflicts with his father and suicidal ideations, leading his parents to remove firearms from their home. While the VA acknowledged his issues, they seemed to focus on alcohol abuse as the primary trigger for his psychotic episodes, an assessment that might have overshadowed a deeper underlying issue. Routh himself discontinued his medication, citing the debilitating side effects.
Escalating Symptoms and Green Oaks Hospital
In January 2013, weeks before the shooting, Routh’s mental state reached a critical point. Following an incident where he barricaded himself and his girlfriend, Jennifer Weed, and her roommate in their apartment with a knife, believing he was protecting them from “the evils of the world,” Routh was admitted to Green Oaks Hospital.
Clinicians at Green Oaks recognized the severity of Routh’s condition. They noted symptoms consistent with “first-break schizophrenia,” describing him as “paranoid and impulsively violent.” They recommended a 5-to-10-day psychiatric hospitalization. He was prescribed a cocktail of medications, including Haldol, Paxil, and Seroquel, before being transferred back to the Dallas VA after just three days.
VA Discharge and Missed Opportunities
Despite the concerning assessment from Green Oaks, the Dallas VA prepared to discharge Routh shortly after his return. Jodi Routh pleaded with the VA to extend his hospitalization and admit him to a residential PTSD treatment program, but her requests were denied. The VA social worker stated that Routh would be discharged because his paranoia symptoms were “no longer present” and he was deemed not suicidal or homicidal at that specific moment.
This decision highlights a critical point: the VA, unlike Green Oaks, did not consider schizophrenia as a potential diagnosis, potentially relying on previous assessments and overlooking the escalating severity of Routh’s condition. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Amam Saleh, who reviewed Routh’s medical records, suggested that large VA facilities may sometimes rely too heavily on prior diagnoses, missing crucial changes in a patient’s mental state.
The VA’s focus on substance abuse as the root cause might have further clouded their judgment. While the VA attributed Routh’s knife incident to alcohol and marijuana use, Green Oaks’ records indicated he was not intoxicated during that episode. This discrepancy underscores the possibility of misdiagnosis and potentially inadequate treatment in the lead-up to the tragic deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Even though Routh was evaluated for intensive mental health case management, he was deemed not a high enough risk, a devastating miscalculation.
The Aftermath and Trial
The deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield sent shockwaves through Texas and the nation. Kyle, the celebrated “American Sniper,” was mourned as a hero. His memorial service at Texas Stadium drew thousands, and he was lauded at national events like the SHOT Show.
Public Reaction and “American Sniper” Film
Kyle’s legend was amplified by his books, particularly American Sniper, which chronicled his military exploits. Ironically, the film adaptation of American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper, was in theaters when Eddie Ray Routh’s murder trial began in Stephenville, Texas. The trial became a media spectacle, with vendors outside the courthouse selling Chris Kyle merchandise. Governor Greg Abbott even declared February 2nd “Chris Kyle Day,” further solidifying his heroic image in the public consciousness.
The Trial and Verdict
Routh’s defense team argued that he was legally insane at the time of the killings, presenting expert testimony suggesting he suffered from schizophrenia and paranoid delusions, contradicting the initial PTSD diagnosis. In his videotaped confession, Routh chillingly stated, regarding Kyle, “I knew if I did not take his soul, he was going to take mine.”
However, the prosecution argued that Routh was a psychopath feigning mental illness to avoid responsibility. After a brief deliberation, the jury sided with the prosecution, finding Routh guilty and sentencing him to life in prison without parole.
The Complexity Beyond “Good vs. Evil”
In the immediate aftermath of the verdict, a simplistic narrative emerged: Chris Kyle, the embodiment of a “good guy with a gun,” was killed by Eddie Ray Routh, a “bad guy with a gun.” Marcus Luttrell, another former Navy SEAL, echoed this sentiment in a tweet directed at Routh, implying he would face further punishment in prison.
However, the reality is far more nuanced. Confidential medical records shared by Routh’s parents after the trial paint a different picture, corroborating the defense’s claims of severe mental illness and raising serious questions about the adequacy of Routh’s treatment at the VA. Dr. Saleh, after reviewing these records, concluded that the VA “should have been more careful” given Routh’s clear psychotic symptoms, suggesting a critical oversight in his care.
Conclusion
How did Chris Kyle die? He was tragically shot and killed by Eddie Ray Routh at a shooting range in Rough Creek Lodge. But the deeper answer lies in understanding the complex factors that culminated in this tragedy. Chris Kyle died because he and Chad Littlefield attempted to help a veteran grappling with severe, and potentially mismanaged, mental illness. Eddie Ray Routh, in the throes of a psychotic episode, committed an act of violence that stole the life of a national hero and his friend.
This tragedy underscores the critical need for comprehensive and accurate mental health care for veterans. The case of Eddie Ray Routh reveals potential shortcomings within the VA system, highlighting the dangers of overlooking complex mental illnesses and the importance of thorough and ongoing assessments. While justice was served in the legal sense, the death of Chris Kyle remains a profound loss, a stark reminder of the human cost of war, and the often-unseen battles fought by veterans long after they return home. The narrative of Chris Kyle’s death is not simply a story of a hero’s end, but a complex and heartbreaking account of mental illness, missed opportunities, and the tragic consequences of violence.
