“Sniper” Shooting Suspect Threatened Family, Self in the Past: Police

The suspect in the shooting deaths of "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield is being held on $3 million bond

Authorities say the Iraq War veteran charged in the shooting deaths at a Texas gun range had threatened himself and his family in the past, according to police records.

Eddie Ray Routh is facing one count of capital murder and two counts of murder in the deaths of former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield.

Kyle and Littlefield were shot and killed at a Texas gun range on Saturday.

NBC 5 DFW obtained police reports from Lancaster Monday that said Routh was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in September 2012, after his mother said he'd threatened to "blow his brains out."

In the report, officers said they were called to a disturbance where Routh was threatening to kill himself and his family. Officers said they'd found Routh walking without shoes and a shirt and that he smelled of alcohol. According to police, Routh told them that he was a Marine veteran suffering from PTSD and that he was hurting and that his family didn't understand what he'd been through.

According to Routh's mother, who is quoted in the report, he became upset when his father said he was going to sell Routh's gun.

An earlier report from the Lancaster police, from May of 2012, indicated Routh's mother Jodi had called police after she said her son had taken nine bottles of pills from her home.

On Monday, Routh's attorney said his client was counseled as recently as Jan. 29 at a Dallas Veterans Affairs hospital and was taking medication.

Routh, a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, is being held at the Erath County Jail on $3 million bond. According to Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant, Routh is on suicide watch.

NBC 5's Scott Gordon and Randy McIlwain contributed to this report.

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