Editor's Note: Some say, "violence begets violence;" others call it "Karma;" still others simply say, "what goes around, comes around." It speaks volumes about the U.S. government, the U.S. military and US society generally - that one of their soldiers, an ex-US Navy Seal, killed 250 people from a cowardly sniper's perch and then be "decorated for bravery," called a "hero" and sell a "best selling" book in the United States. The BBC's thinly veiled admiration for this killer comes through and they conclude with his belief that he was serving God.

- Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic

His body was found at Rough Creek Lodge range on Saturday with that of another man. A suspect was arrested.

Mr Kyle, 38, wrote the 2012 bestseller American Sniper, about the psychology of a sniper, in which he said that he had killed more than 250 people.

He served four tours of duty in Iraq and was decorated for bravery.

The gunman opened fire at about 15:30 local time (21:30 GMT) then fled in a pick-up truck belonging to one of the victims, local media reported.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said the motive for the killings was unclear, and was unable to explain how the two men were shot.

But he said a 25-year-old suspect was detained five hours later more than 70 miles (110 km) from the scene.

"It is a weird feeling, seeing an actual dead body... knowing that you're the one that caused it now to no longer move”                      - Chris Kyle

Scott McEwen, who co-authored the book with Kyle, said: "It just comes as a shock and it's staggering to think that after all Chris has been through, that this is how he meets his end, because there are so many ways he could have been killed."

'The Devil'

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.

According to army intelligence, he was nicknamed "The Devil" by Iraqi insurgents, who put a $20,000 (£13,000) bounty on his head.

He appeared to show little remorse for his victims.

"Every person I killed I strongly believe that they were bad," he told the BBC in an interview a year ago.

"When I do go face God there is going to be lots of things I will have to account for but killing any of those people is not one of them."

Source: BBC