UnNews:American Sniper's death is 'what he would have wanted'

This article is part of UnNews, your source for up-to-the-picosecond misinformation.

3 February 2013

Kyle, who said in 2012: "It is a weird feeling, seeing an actual dead body, knowing that you're the one that caused it now to no longer move. What's weirder is when you move their arms and legs around, like they're still alive.”

TEXAS, TEXAS -- The family of Chris Kyle, ex-Seal and author of American Sniper, have said that his murder on a gun range, while tragic, is "what he would have wanted".

"Chris just loved shooting, and loved guns," reflected his father Kyle. "Obviously, he preferred shooting other people to being shot at, but I think if he had to go, this was his way. Chris was someone you couldn't picture sitting on a porch in his golden years. My image of him will always be that of a young man shooting Iraqis in the head from incredible distances."

Mr Kyle, a former cowboy, is regarded as the most prolific sniper the US has ever seen. Official Pentagon figures say he killed 160 people, but he estimated the total was 255 when unsanctioned murders and local killings in Texas were taken into account.

According to army intelligence, he was nicknamed "The Devil" by Iraqi insurgents, who put a $20,000 bounty on his head. His mother LouAnn remembered, "He always used to say, 'They can put what they like on my head, I know what I am putting on their heads - a bullet.' He had a way with words like that."

Confusion still surrounds the exact events surrounding his death, which took place at Rough Creek Lodge. Police have arrested a man but were called over 2 hours after the initial emergency call for an ambulance. Manager Gregory Pecker explained, "At first we were just thinking about Chris and trying to save his life. Sometimes when a man gets shot at a gun range it's hard to remember that you need to call the police, 'cos well, people are shooting at pictures of men all day."

"What I do want to make clear is that we regret our actions, and that we have adjusted the score of [Suspect's name removed.] because he was erroneously awarded 10 points for a headshot."

Sources

• Leverage, "American Sniper author Chris Kyle shot dead in Texas" BBC, February 3, 2013