The man who killed Osama bin Laden has been revealed as Rob O’Neill, a member of the Navy SEAL Team 6 who shot bin Laden three times in the head to kill him on May 2, 2011, in Abbottabad, Pakistan. O’Neill, 38, is scheduled to go on Fox News next week and reveal himself and tell his story. In 2011, O’Neill was interviewed by Esquire and referred to only as “The Shooter.” In the article, he complained of receiving no pension, getting no health-care coverage from the government, and fearing for his life. In 2011, CNN reported that O’Neill was “thrown off” the core of SEAL Team 6 for “bragging about his role in the raid in bars.”
Matt Bissonnette, O’Neill’s comrade on SEAL Team 6, spoke to The Daily Beast’s Kimberly Dozier about the criticism he received for coming forward with his story. Bissonnette wrote about the raid that killed Bin Laden in No Easy Day and was subsequently rebuked by the Navy for sharing details. He is facing potential criminal prosecution for writing the book. Bissonnette also said his former commanding officer and other colleagues have not yet forgiven him. “They don’t call it SEAL Team 6-Year-Old for nothing,” he said.