A series of strange shootings targeting our nation's veterans and especially those that served in special forces seems to be happening with increasing frequency. When you add into the equation, well-known conservatives and pro-gun rights activists, it is almost becoming a daily or weekly occurrence. Although there were other peculiar instances before the mysterious death of Andrew Breitbart, the phenomena has certainly picked-up steam since.
Yesterday, our nation lost a humble American icon. Chris Kyle was a former Navy Seal. He was also considered one of our nation's most elite snipers. He rose to fame in recent years with his New York Times Bestseller titled, "American Sniper." The book was his personal autobiography of his years serving as a Navy Seal. After getting out of the military and transitioning into civilian life, he dedicated a great deal of his time to volunteering to help veterans that are suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He seems to have seen himself as just an ordinary American and his humbleness shows through in a recent interview discussing the gun control issue with Guns.com.
It turns out that Todd and Sarah Palin considered Chris a good friend. Here is the recent posting on Sarah Palin's facebook page as the Palins react to the news of the murder of Chris Kyle.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle tonight. Todd and I first met Chris in Pella, Iowa, when he helped out with security for the premiere of the film “The Undefeated.” And later we became friends with Chris when he was on “Stars Earn Stripes” with Todd. Chris was a wonderful man, a good friend, and a true American hero who loved our country and served honorably. He was loved and admired by so many, and he will never be forgotten.
- Todd and Sarah Palin
At this time, the details of the shooting are developing. What is being reported so far is the shooting occurred on Saturday on a shooting range at the Rough Creek Lodge in Texas. It is believed that this was one of the places that Chris Kyle frequented often in his desire to work with and help fellow veterans.
The early reports are that supposedly one of the veterans that Chris has been trying to help, all of a sudden "snapped" and opened fire at point-blank range which killed both Chris and another gentleman that is believed to have been one of Chris' neighbors. The perpetrator then strangely escaped the facility by stealing Chris' truck and fleeing the scene. Texas authorities have now caught the alleged suspect and updates to this story are actively being followed here.
What we do know for sure is that this was another murder and untimely death of a well-known gun rights activist and highly-trained American veteran.
The details of the supposed gunman taking Chris' vehicle seems bizarre to say the least. How do we know that there was not someone else that perpetrated this shooting and possibly a friend fearing that they would be next was actually who took his truck and left the scene? Why would a person that just shot two people, then take one of the victim's vehicles as a getaway car? These are just a couple of questions that need to be answered in order to make sense of what happened there.
Hopefully, mainstream media will not use this story of the terrible loss of Chris Kyle as another tool to try to demonize our veterans and portray them across the airwaves as supposedly being unstable and dangerous. That would be a horrific injustice and insult to Chris Kyle's memory and all of our other great American heroes.
As more stories involving the deaths of our nation's veterans and conservative activists come to light, it reminds me of conversations I had years ago with an old friend and veteran who expressed concern for such a time period in history. He often had spoken about what might happen in the future to veterans of special forces in the days, weeks and months proceeding gun confiscation of the American people.
Are these just bizarre and random shootings or are we living in the days many people have warned about for years?
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