A member of the Air Force, a national guardsman and a college student, (all Americans) stopped a terror attack on a French train Friday night.
This report from France 24 has the basic timeline of the incident:
Holidaying US servicemen foil French train attackAnthony Sadler, a student studying physical therapy at Sacramento State University, was travelling on a French train with two childhood friends ̶ Air Force serviceman Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos, a National Guardsman ̶ when the three heard a gunshot and breaking glass.”We heard a gunshot and we heard glass breaking behind us, and saw a train employee sprint past us down the aisle,” Sadler said from France, describing the incident.They then saw the gunman entering their train car.”I didn’t realise what was happening until I saw a guard run past. I looked back and saw a guy enter with a Kalashnikov. My friends and I got down and then I said, ‘Let’s get him’,” said Skarlatos, 22, who returned from service in Afghanistan in July.“As he was cocking it to shoot it, Alek just yells, ‘Spencer, go!’ and Spencer runs down the aisle,” Sadler said. “Spencer makes first contact, he tackles the guy, Alek wrestles the gun away from him, and the gunman pulls out a box cutter and slices Spencer a few times.”Sadler said the three men were quickly able to subdue the suspect.
A fourth man, a British national, helped the three men subdue the gunman once he was down.
Here’s a video report from ODN News:
French officials have expressed gratitude. The International Business Times reports:
France’s interior minister has praised the “great bravery” of the American passengers who helped overpower a man after the latter opened fire aboard a French train Friday. One of the men involved in subduing the gunman said there would have been “real carnage” had they not intervened.
French President Francois Hollande also praised the men as heroes.
France has been on high alert since the attacks on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Here’s a picture of the American serviceman who received the most injuries in the attack:
Here is video posted allegedly of the perp after being subdued:
This is the college student and the other serviceman:
Here’s an official statement from French president Hollande:
Featured image via YouTube.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY