Tillman killed by friendly fire

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Kabul

The bullets that killed football player Pat Tillman, who gave up a lucrative NFL career to join the Army, came from American weapons, the Army said this week. Initial reports said that Tillman, 27, was killed by enemy fire. But the Army’s investigation has revealed that he was accidentally gunned down by members of his own Ranger platoon during a firefight with Afghan militants. Tillman was standing next to a member of the U.S.-allied Afghan Militia Force when a Ranger commander mistook the two for enemy soldiers. “The results of this investigation in no way diminish the bravery and sacrifice displayed by Cpl. Tillman,” said Special Ops commander Lt. Gen. Philip Kensinger. “Cpl. Tillman was shot and killed while responding to enemy fire without regard for his own safety.”

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