For the first time, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden tells his story to a journalist, and that journalist is Phil Bronstein (pictured), the Center for Investigative Reporting’s executive chairman, who writes at length in the March issue of Esquire. “The Shooter” is also posted at CIR’s website. It’s gripping stuff, and for reasons beyond what you’d first think. Here’s the lede:
The man who shot and killed Osama bin Ladin sat in a wicker chair in my backyard, wondering how he was going to feed his wife and kids or pay for their medical care.
It was a mild spring day, April 2012, and our small group, including a few of his friends and family, was shielded from the sun by the patchwork shadows of maple trees. But the Shooter was sweating as he talked about his uncertain future, his plans to leave the Navy and SEAL Team 6.