Family, Friends Say Goodbye to Gun Range Victim

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Family, Friends Say Goodbye to Chad Littlefield

Family and friends of Chad Littlefield are saying goodby in Midlothian Friday. Littlefield was killed, along with Chris Kyle, at a North Texas gun range last weekend.

Family, Friends to Say Goodbye to Gun Range Victim

Family and friends will say goodbye on Friday to a husband and father gunned down at a shooting range last weekend.

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Family and friends said goodbye on Friday to a husband and father who was gunned down at a shooting range last weekend.

Funeral services were held for Chad Littlefield at the First Baptist Church in Midlothian on Friday afternoon.

Littlefield and best-selling author and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle were shot to death at a Glen Rose gun range on Saturday. Eddie Ray Routh, a Marine reservist, has been charged in their deaths.

Friends described Littlefield as a hard-working, fun-loving and dependable friend, father and husband.

Kenny Lowman, First Baptist Church pastor, said he has known Littlefield's wife, Leanne, for 20 years and officiated their wedding.

"He loved the Lord, was a great friend to many and lived a life worthy of following," he said.

"All week long, we've probably received more calls than at any other time in the history of our church, and it really is a testament to the Littlefield family and the Kyle family, their impact on this community," said Michael Nichols, the church's executive pastor.

The high school baseball team of Littlefield's nephew showed up in uniform.

"It's very devastating," Palmer High School baseball coach Rusty Blankenship said. "It reaches everywhere. We're a small town in Palmer where everybody knows everybody, and it's just very important for us to be there for him."

Pam Harris, who is close friends with his parents, said they have been strong in dealing with their son's shocking death.

"You couldn't love a son any more -- just terrific people," she said.

An estimated 200 Patriot Guard riders escorted the family to Mount Zion Cemetery for a private burial.

The group usually attends funerals for military veterans and service members but made a rare exception. A Patriot Guard rider who was friends with Littlefield said they wanted to honor him for trying to a veteran when he was killed.

"When the spouse had asked -- even though Chad was not in the military -- if we could be here, how could you say no?" Patriot Guard ride captain Carlton Emmons said.

Littlefield, who would have turned 36 on Monday, is survived by his wife and daughter.

He and Kyle were at the Rough Creek Lodge gun range on Saturday to help Eddie Ray Routh, a veteran and Marine reservist. Routh's family says he was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Investigators say Routh shot Littlefield and Kyle multiple times at the gun range.

Routh's brother-in-law told police the day of the shooting that Routh said he killed two people while out shooting target practice because "he couldn't trust them so he killed them before they could kill him," according to a Texas Ranger search warrant. The brother-in-law told police that Routh said he couldn't trust anyone and that everyone was out to get him, according to the document.

Arlington police are anticipating anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 people for Monday's memorial service at Cowboys Stadium for former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.

As NBC 5 first reported, Kyle will be buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. On Tuesday, a 200-mile procession is planned for when Kyle makes his way to his final resting place.

A trust fund for the families of both victims has been established. The public can make donations at the website of Kyle's company, Craft International.

More: Supporting the families of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed statements Eddie Ray Routh allegedly made to his brother-in-law as statements that he made to detectives. NBC 5 regrets the error.

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Lawmaker Aims to Modify Texas' Castle Doctrine

Omar Villafranca, NBC 5 News

The Castle Doctrine allows homeowners to protect themselves if someone is threatening their home or property, but one lawmaker says your car isn't your castle and wants to change the law.

Castle Doctrine for the Home Only?

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Lawyers and lawmakers met in Dallas on Friday to discuss the state's stand-your-ground laws.

The meeting was part of a larger meeting put together by the American Bar Association at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said he favors reviewing the state's stand-your-ground laws. West added that he favors reviewing all laws after they've been implemented.

But state Rep. Garnet Coleman, of Houston, said he's ready to change part of the law.

"The idea is, if you're threatened in your home, you should be able to use force," he said. "But if you're threatened on the street, the Castle Doctrine was never designed to say that anybody anywhere, if they perceive they've been threatened, can shoot someone."

The Castle Doctrine states that "a person is justified in using force and in some instances, deadly force to repel an aggressor." The law applies in a person's home and even at a place of work or in someone's car.

But the language of the law is too subjective, Coleman said.

"This is where people's prejudices and their thoughts come in," he said. "This is very subjective, and that is one of the challenges with the law. It's too subjective. If you look at who's been harmed, it's mostly people of color."

Coleman said he also thinks the law should only refer to incidents in a home.

"The thought that your car is your castle, and the thought that a parking lot is your castle, and the thought that the public street is your castle -- it is not," he said.

The bill hasn't been filed yet, but Coleman plans to file it this session.

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Fire Engulfs Grapevine Home

Chopper 5

Chopper 5 shows flames leaping from the roof of a home in the 1000 block of Pheasant Ridge Drive in Grapevine.

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Firefighters battled a fire at a home in the 1000 block of Pheasant Ridge Drive in Grapevine Thursday afternoon.

Chopper 5 could see flames jumping from the roof as firefighters doused the fire with water from a ladder truck and in a ground attack.

NBC 5 crews heading to the scene said they could see smoke from several miles away.

A firefighter was injured while battling the flames. Grapevine Fire Chief Steve Bass said he fell off the roof, he was taken to the hospital but NBC 5 was told his injuries are not serious and he'll be "just fine."

Firefighters from several neighboring cities, including Bedford, are helping fight the fire.

Approximately 20 engines and 65 firefighters were called out because the fire was so intense according to Chief Bass.

Crews doused two nearby homes with water because they were in danger because of the heavy flames.

No word what sparked the fire and Bass said firefighters haven't had a chance to do an  initial search inside the home.

As of 5:45 p.m. the majority of the fire had been knocked down according to Chief Bass.

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FW Officer Shot by Drug Suspect Released From Hospital

Mark Schnyder, NBC 5 News

Fort Worth Officer John Bell went home from the hospital Thursday after he was shot in the face, hip and hand during a shootout with a suspect in Haltom City last week.

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A Fort Worth officer who was shot three times last week in Haltom City by a drug suspect left the hospital Thursday afternoon.

Officer John Bell was shot in the right eye socket, right hip joint and left hand on Jan. 29 while assisting Haltom City police.

Dozens of Bell's colleagues stood at attention outside Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital and clapped and cheered as he got into his car with his wife, Barbara.

"A whole lot's been made out of this, and I'm really humbled by it," Bell said minutes after he was discharged. "Everybody's so nice and saying, 'You're a hero.' I don't really consider myself that."

Doctors say they are not sure if Bell will be able to see out of his right eye again but say he was "very lucky."

"Had that bullet entered his brain through his eye socket, he would have likely had a fatal injury," said Dr. David Smith, director of trauma.

"The good Lord was looking after me, obviously -- probably got a plan for me somewhere down the road," Bell said.

Bell said he was aware of what was going on after he was shot and rushed to the hospital. He said he kept telling himself to hang in there.

"You tell yourself, 'You're OK; you're breathing; you're OK. I'm going to be all right. I've got the best people in the world taking care of me.' It doesn't get any better than that," he said.

Bell, a 21-year veteran and motorcycle officer, was shot while helping Haltom City police who were searching for a man they tried to pull over during a narcotics investigation.

Investigators said Cody Loron, 32, shot Bell after the officer found him hiding in a truck. Bell returned fire.

Loron was shot and died at a Fort Worth hospital the next day.

The case is still under investigation.

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Jobs Program Sways Dead Man’s Curve Replacement Critics

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A new job-training program unveiled Wednesday swayed critics of the Dallas plan to remove the S.M. Wright Freeway and the notorious "Dead Man's Curve."

Crashes are common at the curve where U.S. Highway 175 C.F Hawn Freeway becomes S.M. Wright Freeway heading north to Downtown Dallas.

The Texas Department of Transportation plans to remove the curve by extending the C.F. Hawn Freeway to the west, linking 175 directly to I-45, diverting 175 traffic from the S.M. Wright Freeway.

Years of debate have centered on the next phase of the plan, which will demolish the 10-lane S.M. Wright Freeway and replace it with a six-lane surface street through South Dallas.

Some critics wanted a four-lane street, concerned that even the six-lane road would carry too much traffic.

"What we were concerned with was economic development and the opportunity for the redevelopment of South Dallas," said Rev. Gerald Britt, a community leader.

But Britt attended the City Hall press conference Wednesday where South Dallas City Councilmember Carolyn Davis unveiled the job training plan.

The program will focus on training workers from South Dallas, with $2.5 million in money normally reserved for road construction.

"It started in this area because there's a workforce out here that needs to be tapped into, there's a contracting element that needs to be increased," said Bill Hale, Texas Department of Transportation Dallas District Chief Engineer.

Hale said transportation officials in other Texas cities are now studying the Dallas job-training plan.

"Tell everybody in Austin, we want to make this so successful that everybody through out the state is going to be doing it," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said.

Some existing South Dallas business people are still not sold on the S.M. Wright reconstruction.

Rick Svay owns Texas Liquor on S.M. Wright near Hatcher.  He counts on the heavy freeway traffic.

"If you have no traffic, you have no business," he said.

Svay believes the existing roadway is just fine and doubts removing it will improve the aging neighborhood.

"Why not use that money to renovate it instead of tear it down," he said.

Construction to eliminate Dead Man's Curve is set to begin in early 2014 with the S.M. Wright demolition to follow in 2017.

The job training program is gearing up now.

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Texas College Students Could Soon Pack Heat

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Students with concealed handgun licenses could soon carry guns on Texas college campuses.

More than a dozen state senators have signed on to Senate Bill 182, also known as the  "Campus Personal Protection Act."

The bill's primary author, Senator Brian Birdwell, said the bill is about preserving the 2nd Amendment.

"This affords CHL holders, one of the most lawful group of citizens in our state, to be able exercise that 2nd amendment right to go on to the campus of higher learning to be able defend themselves and protect their right to self-preservation, God forbid, some act of evil be perpetrated," Birdwell said.

If passed, the bill would allow CHL holders to bring concealed weapons onto public universities. Private universities could choose to go gun-free.

"It does respect the private property rights of the private institutions, and they have the opportunities to opt-out of the requirements," Birdwell said. "So we do want to respect the private institutions private property rights."

The bill also gives some say to universities on where students can and cannot bring their concealed weapons.

"They are to establish some rules and some boundaries, sporting events for example, are separated out of there, so it provides quite a bit of local control for the local universities," said State Senator Kelly Hancock.

Hancock said the bill would not just affect students.

"And really more what you're talking about more with a CHL on a college campus is really you're probably addressing more professors, university employees then you are actually students," Hancock said.

Birdwell said CHL holders living on-campus at public universities would have to secure the gun, according to university set rules.

NBC 5 reached out to several DFW area universities and colleges for an opinion about the bill.

"In keeping with state law, neither the University of North Texas, as one of the state's public institutions, nor I in my position as the university president, may take a position supporting or opposing any specific State of Texas legislation," UNT President V. Lane Rawlings said in a statement.

TCU's chancellor also released a statement on the bill.

""With respect to the proposed bill, TCU's biggest priority is keeping the campus safe. We accomplish that through our 24/7 TCU Police force, which has procedures in place dedicated to the protection of all members of our community. I believe that TCU, as a private institution, should be provided with a choice as to whether we would permit someone with a concealed weapon license to carry a weapon on campus," said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr.

In the past, the student congress at UTA passed a resolution against CHL holders bringing concealed guns to class.

The bill has been referred to the Criminal Justice Committee.
 

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Surprised? DFW Not Among Most Congested

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Traffic is a Good Thing for North Texas Drivers?

A new traffic study by Texas A&M shows North Texas has the 13th most stressful and congested commute in the nation. But the study also said traffic means people have jobs.

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North Texans spend a lot of time tied up in traffic, but Dallas-Fort Worth doesn't rank in the top 10 most congested in the country.

The Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth area is ranked 13th in a new study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. It also shows DFW is the 13th most stressful area for our 3 million commuters.

Congestion comes at a cost for commuters who traveled 60 million miles of freeways in North Texas in 2011.

In the recent 2011 study year, local drivers lost $957 in wasted time and fuel and spent 45 hours stuck in traffic. It's the 6th worst congestion cost in the country, considering gas is $0.74 per gallon more expensive than five years ago. 

Drivers time is also more valuable, in this study, estimated at $16.79 per hour.

"Traffic, it's thick out there," said Dallas driver Deroyce Freeman. "Gas is so high, we're wasting time on the freeways, the traffic."

It's the first year researchers looked at the reliability of the commute time in North Texas, which ranked 11th.

For a 20-minute freeway commute, drivers have to allow 80 minutes to ensure you'll make it on time. Researchers said it's factors like bad weather, a crash or construction that we can't control added to an already stressed road system that causes the problem.

Researchers said other areas have seen a slowdown in congestion because of the economic downturn. DFW hasn't been hit hard, so plenty of workers are still making that commute. 

"It's where the jobs are, you have to come here," said Bennett.

The Texas Department of Transportation says the older bridges and road expansion projects contribute to the traffic, along with more folks moving to the area.

Without improvements already made, like HOV lanes and public transportation, the study estimates local drivers would lose another 16 million hours and $360 million dollars per year.

"It's a mini New York. A headache, a migraine," said Freeman. 

Researchers believe reducing traffic in other ways like telecommuting or flexible work schedules can also help ease the congestion and headaches of the commute.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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Bill Could Allow Opting-Out of Smart Meters

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Just months after Oncor finished installing millions of "Smart Meters" in North Texas, a new bill in Austin could let customers remove the digital devices from their homes.

Oncor finished installing more than 3.2 million advanced meters in North Texas. Jeamy Molina, a spokeswoman for Oncor, said the project started in 2009.

"We started our rollout in 2009 and finished in 2012. And we've been trying to educate our customers ever since," Molina said.

The public education hasn't been easy. From the beginning of the roll out, customers have had concerns. Republican State Sen. John Carona said he's heard plenty of complaints from customers. The issues range from health concerns over the radio-frequency used by the meters, to property rights issues.

"It's mainly people perceiving there is a health issue. And in terms of respecting individual rights,  and the strong feeling people have that they should be able to control what is attached to their home, in this case, the meter, this legislation is in response to that," Carona said.

The complaints prompted Carona to author Senate Bill 241. The bill would allow Texans to opt out of receiving a smart meter for a fee. The measure would also let Texans who already have an advanced meter to have the device taken off for a fee.

"If you choose to opt out, you can do so. Now you have to pay a reasonable cost for doing so, because there is a cost where the meters have already been installed, and there is an ongoing cost to manually continue to read your meter as opposed to it being done electronically, which is one of the features of a smart meter," Carona said.

Carona said he's not sure how much of a fee would be added on to remove the meter, if the bill passes. Carona said that number will be discussed during the legislative process.

Terry Hadley, a spokesman for the Public Utility Commission in Austin told NBC 5 that the commission will discuss a range for the fee starting later on this month when the PUC meets to discuss the issue. Hadley said the PUC is working to come up with opt out plan for customers. Carona said he's aware of the PUC's actions.

"If the Public Utility Commission chooses to act on that issue, and they act in a way that is responsive to the concerns of homeowners, we'd be willing to pull aside the legislation. Otherwise we'll pass legislation to mandate that it be done and that they be able to have that opt out provision," Carona said.

Learn more about Smart Meters here: https://www.smartmetertexas.com/CAP/public/
 

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Routh Previously Threatened Self, Family: Police

Randy McIlwain & Scott Gordon, NBC 5 News

Eddie Ray Routh, the man accused of killing "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and friend Chad Littlefield, is being held in segregated housing in the Erath Co. jail while his mental competency is under evaluation.

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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, police records say.

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 obtained police reports from Lancaster Monday that said Routh was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Sept. 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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Two Pedestrians Hit By Vehicle in Lewisville

NBC 4 New York

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Lewisville police say two pedestrians were struck by a vehicle while crossing a street Monday night.

A driver hit two pedestrians trying to cross Fox Avenue at about 6:45 p.m., police say. Both victims have been airlifted to Parkland Hospital. 

Lewisville police tell NBC 5 that both victims are in critical, but stable condition, at Parkland.

Police say the two pedestrians were struck crossing Fox Avenue, near Edmonds Lane, in an area without a crosswalk. 

The two victims were hit by the driver of a 2002 Kia Sedona, police say. 

The driver, whose name has not been released, stopped and waited for police to arrive and is fully cooperating with the investigation. 

Lewisville police are working to identify the two victims and notify their  families.

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