Audio By Carbonatix
In a speech at the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars Mid-Winter Convention, Governor Greg Abbott announced that today is Chris Kyle Day.
Kyle, the so-called American Sniper, was killed February 2, 2013, by former Marine Eddie Ray Routh at a shooting range.
Kyle recorded more than 160 kills during the four tours he served in the second Iraq War. He claimed several more after his stateside return, including a series of looters he said he picked off from the roof of the Superdome in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to reporting done by Nicholas Schmidle for The New Yorker in 2013
“Afterward, a larger group went out for dinner, closed the hotel bar, and hung out in Kyle’s suite, drinking until late. The SEALs began telling stories, and Kyle offered a shocking one. In the days after Hurricane Katrina, he said, the law-and-order situation was dire. He and another sniper traveled to New Orleans, set up on top of the Superdome, and proceeded to shoot dozens of armed residents who were contributing to the chaos. Three people shared with me varied recollections of that evening: the first said that Kyle claimed to have shot 30 men on his own; according to the second, the story was that Kyle and the other sniper had shot 30 men between them; the third said that she couldn’t recall specific details.”
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
Unfair Park joins all Texans who take Kyle at his word about his actions in New Orleans, especially those who arrived in the fall of 2005 from Louisiana, in honoring Kyle’s legacy.
