Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle will be remembered at a memorial service Monday morning at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium.
The author, 38, who American Sniper, was gunned down Feb. 2 in a gun range outside Fort Worth, allegedly by a former Marine who may have been suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Kyle's friend also died in the shooting; police arrested Eddie Ray Routh, 25, who has been charged with two counts of murder.
According to the Associated Press, records show Routh had been discharged from a mental facility just days before the shootings.
Kyle, who was married and had two children, had made it a priority to help troubled veterans after he left the service, launching a foundation, FITCO Cares, to offer aid. In a statement on the organization's web site, Travis Cox, a director there, pledged to carry on Kyle's mission.
“The need for awareness about PTSD is almost as important as the brave men and women who return from combat living with it. Chris knew this, was passionate about helping those with it, and following his procession, we intend to carry that legacy to fight it,” he wrote.
Kyle was a decorated veteran who served four tours in Iraq and was lauded as one of the military's top snipers. A former soldier said his skills made him “an angel of sorts for coalition troops.”
Memorial funds have been established to support the families of Kyle and Chad Littlefield, 35, the friend who was also killed. To donate, click here.
