Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul issued a statement of condolence and admiration for slain SEAL sniper Chris Kyle late Monday.
“Chris Kyle was a hero like all Americans who don the uniform to defend our country. Our prayers are with his family during this tragic time,” Paul said, in a statement to Breitbart News.
Kyle and a friend were shot to death Saturday at a Texas shooting range. A Marine veteran struggling with PTSD has been accused of the crime.
Sen. Paul’s reaction came after his father, Texas Republican Ron Paul, tweeted out a reaction earlier in the day that received wide criticism.
“Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that ‘he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.’ Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn’t make sense,” the former congressman wrote.
Under fire for the remark, Ron Paul elaborated on that tweet in a Facebook message late Monday:
“As a veteran, I certainly recognize that this weekend’s violence and killing of Chris Kyle were a tragic and sad event. My condolences and prayers go out to Mr. Kyle’s family. Unconstitutional and unnecessary wars have endless unintended consequences. A policy of non-violence, as Christ preached, would have prevented this and similar tragedies. -REP”