Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation declaring Feb. 2 as "Chris Kyle Day," honoring the late United States Navy SEAL.
"He's an American Hero," Abbott told Fox News on Monday. "He had the guts to stand up and defend this country."
Kyle served four tours in Iraq and is considered the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history. A number of White House petitions have popped up asking that he receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service, "which saved hundreds and possibly thousands of US soldiers lives," reads one petition.
That petition, created by a citizen in Michigan on Jan. 19, has a goal of 100,000 signatures by Feb. 18. It has received more than 7,300 signatures as of Feb. 2.
Kyle lived in the Fort Worth suburb of Midlothian with his wife and two children after his discharge from the military. He was shot and killed by a 25-year-old Marine veteran at a North Texas gun range in 2013. The shooter, who was reportedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time, goes on trial next month, according to Fox News.
Bradley Cooper currently stars a Kyle in the Oscar-nominated film, "American Sniper," directed by Clint Eastwood. The film has sparked hot debate over the sniper's legacy and his actions in the field.
