France: 2 Americans subdue gunman on high-speed train

[NeverSure]

It's not clear.....Did the gunman just start shooting randomly, or did he attack the soldiers (and lose, haha som nom na)? That the soldiers were the ones injured suggests the latter.

Not enough info right now, but seems he was getting ready to start shooting and the soldiers stopped him, getting wounded in the process. The attacker had a kalashnikov rifle. I would guess that draws a bit of attention when displayed!

A Kalashnikov is the line of AK-47, AKM-47, AK-74 (not a typo) etc. rifles. These are Com-block rifles. Most of those guns are fully automatic, select fire "machine gun" rifles aka the AK-47 and AK-74. Common magazines hold 20 or 30 rounds although some hold more. Kalashnikov was the Russian man who invented the gun.

That's a nasty piece and there is no way it should get onto a train undetected if only the smallest amount of care was taken.

[Steely Dan]

More of the bitter fruits of mass immigration from Muslim Countries. Wonderful presence of mind by the marines off duty, unarmed and in another Country. Had it happened on a U.S military base they might have faced charges, such is the world we live in today.

[Just1Voice]

I was....I am....I shall always be....a United States Marine.

[Seastallion]

It's not clear.....Did the gunman just start shooting randomly, or did he attack the soldiers (and lose, haha som nom na)? That the soldiers were the ones injured suggests the latter.

Your suggestion that it is OK to take a gun on a train to shoot soldiers is despicable.

Wow!!! Just WOW! Where do you draw that from???? Even with the most <deleted>-tinted glasses, it beggars belief that you can find any sort of suggestion in MY QUESTION about who the gunman attacked.

My apologies if that is not what you meant.

Apology accepted...as half-heartedly as it was offered. You still maintain the possibility that I made a comment about allowing guns on trains to shoot soldiers!

Incredible.

[Steely Dan]

It's not clear.....Did the gunman just start shooting randomly, or did he attack the soldiers (and lose, haha som nom na)? That the soldiers were the ones injured suggests the latter.

Your suggestion that it is OK to take a gun on a train to shoot soldiers is despicable.

Wow!!! Just WOW! Where do you draw that from???? Even with the most <deleted>-tinted glasses, it beggars belief that you can find any sort of suggestion in MY QUESTION about who the gunman attacked.

My apologies if that is not what you meant.

Apology accepted...as half-heartedly as it was offered. You still maintain the possibility that I made a comment about allowing guns on trains to shoot soldiers!
Incredible.

When someone sides with North Korea over some supposed U.S instigated provocation it's difficult to know where you draw the line - just saying.

[craigt3365]

It's not clear.....Did the gunman just start shooting randomly, or did he attack the soldiers (and lose, haha som nom na)? That the soldiers were the ones injured suggests the latter.

Not enough info right now, but seems he was getting ready to start shooting and the soldiers stopped him, getting wounded in the process. The attacker had a kalashnikov rifle. I would guess that draws a bit of attention when displayed!

A Kalashnikov is the line of AK-47, AKM-47, AK-74 (not a typo) etc. rifles. These are Com-block rifles. Most of those guns are fully automatic, select fire "machine gun" rifles aka the AK-47 and AK-74. Common magazines hold 20 or 30 rounds although some hold more. Kalashnikov was the Russian man who invented the gun.

That's a nasty piece and there is no way it should get onto a train undetected if only the smallest amount of care was taken.

There are no x-ray machines on trains in Europe (except one line). Probably not in the US either. I just did a few train trips and could have brought anything on I desired.

It will be interesting to get more info on this aborted terrorist attempt.

[LomSak27]

Unfortunately the government of the United States has pushed the multi-culturalism and mass immigration from the Islamic world and Africa that is ruining Europe and made this latest attack possible

Amerika ... the cause of all Eurolands problems ... That’s the best you got for the weekend? Might try, The Rothschild’s, Freemasons and toss in a little Illuminati. It’s just as vacant but as it plays on traditional forms of Euro ignorance and racism, it will play better.

[NeverSure]

I was....I am....I shall always be....a United States Marine.

Thank you for your service.

[Merzik]

Americans coming to the rescue of France again.

Yorktown 1776 the French did the same.

Unfortunately the government of the United States has pushed the multi-culturalism and mass immigration from the Islamic world and Africa that is ruining Europe and made this latest attack possible . The American government has continuously pushed for the inclusion of 90 million Muzz Turks in the EU and NATO bombers made the jihadist conquest of Kosovo a reality. There are many such examples. Of course neither the American or European people are in favor of this but we have an elite class which is. Obozo is now flooding the USA with Muzz immigrants as well. The "Camp of the Saints" is a reality in all of the Western world.

Semper Fi USMC for your herorism on this train. The French sites I am following all speak of your courage and of their gratitude; as well as their frustration with France's multicultural nightmare.

What a stretch to blame the US for the multicultural situation in the EU. Every sovereign country has the right to decide who it will or will not accept. One of the main groups who pushed for more positive attitudes toward immigrants was the UNHCR, which is centered in Geneva, Switzerland and is mostly dominated by Europeans and people from smaller countries. The UNHCR made significant efforts to get refugees resettled.

I think it is a bit of a stretch to insinuate that a Moroccan in Europe is somehow because of US immigration policies.

What a stretch to say I place all the blame on the American government for Europe's invasion by Muslims: I never said that. Yet they are clearly part of the problem and a little research into the organizations that bind the European and American political elite classes and the polices America has promoted with their money, media and military will demonstrate this. These elites are traitors to their own countries; both American and European . As I stated; the people in both America and Europe are in the majority opposed to this.

[Just1Voice]

I was....I am....I shall always be....a United States Marine.

Thank you for your service.

I share your Thanks with every man and woman who has had to courage to put on a uniform, regardless of which branch of the military, and by doing so, openly proclaim: "I am ready to defend my country, even if it means my own death."

(But we Jarheads think we're special, because we are! lol)

[JDGRUEN]

Sounds like a Great Ending to an awful situation that was about to get much worse - but didn't.

Thanks to an alert French Actor who sounded the alarm and to two brave Marines - what could have been a massacre was turned into a short lived scary event with only some minor injuries.

I do not see how anyone can turn this event into anything else but a shining example of what good Samaritans can do when they step forward bravely into the fray ... Thanks much to the two Marines and the French actor ... Three Cheers gentleman and Hats off to you all...

[PHP87]

Pic of the shooter. Looks like he got roughed up a bit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html

One Marine was shot in the neck but reports say it's not serious.

Good thing they recognized the sound of someone locking and loading, or were even there as it sounds like the shooter had nine-30 round mags:

"French police recovered at least nine full magazines of ammunition from the suspect's backpack, containing almost 300 rounds"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html#ixzz3jVicklBn

[Merzik]

Pic of the shooter. Looks like he got roughed up a bit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html

One Marine was shot in the neck but reports say it's not serious.

Good thing they recognized the sound of someone locking and loading, or were even there as it sounds like the shooter had nine-30 round mags:

"French police recovered at least nine full magazines of ammunition from the suspect's backpack, containing almost 300 rounds"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html#ixzz3jVicklBn

Roughed up? Oh my! The Hollande government may now charge the Marines with a " hate crime" ; especially if there were any culturally insensitive remarks made about his Muzz religion or ethnicity. Marine Le Pen for her part; has already thanked the Marines for their courage on her Facebook page. Perhaps better days are ahead for Europe?

[Bakseeda]

And I thought Sangfroid was a new style of Rum.... Oh no, that's Sangsom, Still, with a few of them down me I have a lot of coolness and composure.... So I think..!

[haybilly]

It's difficult to say from the Daily Mail article,but it appears that the photo of the guy being carried off the train,which I think some are confusing with the gunman,who was 'a bit roughed up' was actually the wounded serviceman, sincea second photo of the guy carries the caption of 'one of the wounded was stretchered off'.

Anyway, I wish both the soldiers a speedy recovery.

It's interesting that the same article says that 'France was on High Alert following the Charly Hebdo attack'~ not sure what being on High Alert means if these maniacs can get a Kalashnikov and other weapons on a train.

[zaphod reborn]

Americans coming to the rescue of France again.

Yorktown 1776 the French did the same.

I trust you mean the Siege of Yorktown which occurred in 1781. Yes, the French were involved, but trying to claim that they "rescued" the Americans is laughable revisionism. The Americans and French had been acting as alliance. French troops at Yorktown were under Washington's command, and comprised about 40% of his soldiers. The battle was won, because the French fleet was ordered by Washington to block Cornwalis' escape from Yorktown, while Washington took advantage of a tactical error made by Cornwalis in failing to properly defend 4 redoubts. As a result, Washington was able to bombard the British troops for 3 weeks while trapped in Yorktown. The British surrendered and American independence resulted.

Reaching back 250 years to bring up a questionable show of military will reeks of desperation.

[NeverSure]

delete

[Steely Dan]

Pic of the shooter. Looks like he got roughed up a bit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html

One Marine was shot in the neck but reports say it's not serious.

Good thing they recognized the sound of someone locking and loading, or were even there as it sounds like the shooter had nine-30 round mags:

"French police recovered at least nine full magazines of ammunition from the suspect's backpack, containing almost 300 rounds"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html#ixzz3jVicklBn

Roughed up? Oh my! The Hollande government may now charge the Marines with a " hate crime" ; especially if there were any culturally insensitive remarks made about his Muzz religion or ethnicity. Marine Le Pen for her part; has already thanked the Marines for their courage on her Facebook page. Perhaps better days are ahead for Europe?

At the least the marines could be charged with racial profiling for failure to follow people to the toilet at random, be they middle aged and white, a geriatric with a Zimmer frame or a swarthy looking North African with a large backpack.

[Carmine6]

I can't be sure but it looks as if the two guys on the left are the Marines. Business Insider

marines.jpg

Medals handed out at a restaurant? Is that a common thing in France to have some medals on hand, to be handed out right away? That's pretty interesting.

Per the CNN story linked above, they interviewed Anthony, and per that story they aren't Marines. One Air Force and one National Guard, and another friend of those two. Presumably, Anthony would have been the one confirming which branches.

(CNN)The train was speeding through Belgium when the man emerged from the train bathroom, shirtless with a rifle -- possibly an AK 47 -- slung over his shoulder, the Americans said.

The three men -- a member of the Air Force, an inactive National Guard member and a civilian -- responded quickly, possibly preventing a deadly attack on the high-speed Thalys train.

"My friend Alek (Skarlatos) yells, 'Get him,' so my friend Spencer (Stone) immediately gets up to charge the guy, followed by Alek, then myself," Anthony Sadler said in an interview with CNN.

"The three of us beat up the guy," Anthony said. "In the process Spencer gets slashed multiple times by the box cutter, and Alek takes the AK away.

"I begin to tie him up with help from Chris, another passenger. I notice a man had his throat cut at which Spencer begins to apply pressure to the neck wound before he bled out."

Spencer was cut in the head and neck and almost had his thumb cut off, Alek's brother, Peter Skarlatos told CNN. Alek had taken control of the rifle and hit the suspect in the head with the muzzle, the brother said.

[PHP87]

Lot's of conflicting reports right now.

Either way, it sounds like a real tragedy was averted.

How were those guys awarded medals so quickly?

US Government workers would take months just to get to the paperwork.

[Nice Boyd]

Well I hope this Stops the Ugly American Tourist Crap, Viva the Americans...

[noitom]

Thanks for service to the world to these two US Marines.

[simple1]

Pic of the shooter. Looks like he got roughed up a bit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html

One Marine was shot in the neck but reports say it's not serious.

Good thing they recognized the sound of someone locking and loading, or were even there as it sounds like the shooter had nine-30 round mags:

"French police recovered at least nine full magazines of ammunition from the suspect's backpack, containing almost 300 rounds"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html#ixzz3jVicklBn

Roughed up? Oh my! The Hollande government may now charge the Marines with a " hate crime" ; especially if there were any culturally insensitive remarks made about his Muzz religion or ethnicity. Marine Le Pen for her part; has already thanked the Marines for their courage on her Facebook page. Perhaps better days are ahead for Europe?

How ill-informed you are. France committed ground forces and defeated Islamic extremism (Mali). France has armed forces allocated and fighting Islamist forces in the M.E., refer below.

https://theconversation.com/french-military-will-be-on-the-frontline-against-islamic-extremists-for-years-to-come-36022

Perhaps you need to read up on Le Pen's anti Americanism & support for Putin before heaping praise upon her.

[Credo]

Americans coming to the rescue of France again.

Yorktown 1776 the French did the same.

Unfortunately the government of the United States has pushed the multi-culturalism and mass immigration from the Islamic world and Africa that is ruining Europe and made this latest attack possible . The American government has continuously pushed for the inclusion of 90 million Muzz Turks in the EU and NATO bombers made the jihadist conquest of Kosovo a reality. There are many such examples. Of course neither the American or European people are in favor of this but we have an elite class which is. Obozo is now flooding the USA with Muzz immigrants as well. The "Camp of the Saints" is a reality in all of the Western world.

Semper Fi USMC for your herorism on this train. The French sites I am following all speak of your courage and of their gratitude; as well as their frustration with France's multicultural nightmare.

What a stretch to blame the US for the multicultural situation in the EU. Every sovereign country has the right to decide who it will or will not accept. One of the main groups who pushed for more positive attitudes toward immigrants was the UNHCR, which is centered in Geneva, Switzerland and is mostly dominated by Europeans and people from smaller countries. The UNHCR made significant efforts to get refugees resettled.

I think it is a bit of a stretch to insinuate that a Moroccan in Europe is somehow because of US immigration policies.

What a stretch to say I place all the blame on the American government for Europe's invasion by Muslims: I never said that. Yet they are clearly part of the problem and a little research into the organizations that bind the European and American political elite classes and the polices America has promoted with their money, media and military will demonstrate this. These elites are traitors to their own countries; both American and European . As I stated; the people in both America and Europe are in the majority opposed to this.

image.jpg

First I did not say you said 'all'. You said that. Second, Wesley Clark has no say in either US immigration policy nor any European country. You are stating a nice diversion, but that is it. Ethnic purity can refer to many different groups, but immigration policies are internal affairs.

The argument is typical of those who will not accept responsibility for their own actions. You might want to read up on the history of Morocco. The French and Spanish both have a long history there.

[Carmine6]

Lot's of conflicting reports right now.

Either way, it sounds like a real tragedy was averted.

How were those guys awarded medals so quickly?

US Government workers would take months just to get to the paperwork.

What does someone put on the customs declaration form for a medal awarded in France?

Daily Mail has now updated their story as well, with much more details.

• Air Force airman Spencer Stone ran at the gunman when he opened fire on the high speed service to Paris
• Was travelling with Oregon National Guard member Alek Skarlatos, 22, who was travelling through Europe
• With the help of Anthony Sadler, from California, and British national Chris Norman, they stopped the attack
• Stone was cut in the neck during the confrontation and is in hospital - although his injuries are not life-threatening
• The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who was known to security services, got on the train in Brussels
• He came out of the toilet brandishing the gun and opened fire. Fortunately, the hero passengers overpowered him
• Three people were wounded in the attack, including Stone. French police hailed the bravery of the bystanders

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html#ixzz3jW3PZqeB

[Merzik]

It's difficult to say from the Daily Mail article,but it appears that the photo of the guy being carried off the train,which I think some are confusing with the gunman,who was 'a bit roughed up' was actually the wounded serviceman, sincea second photo of the guy carries the caption of 'one of the wounded was stretchered off'.

Anyway, I wish both the soldiers a speedy recovery.

It's interesting that the same article says that 'France was on High Alert following the Charly Hebdo attack'~ not sure what being on High Alert means if these maniacs can get a Kalashnikov and other weapons on a train.

In addition this train is known as being a popular one for drug smuggling and supposably under close surveillance for this reason. With estimates of up to 10 million Muzz in France ( and massive amounts of reinforcements arriving daily) the police have their hands full trying to prevent potential jihadist attacks. Only a sane immigration policy of very strict border control , welfare reform and deportation will solve this problem. Unfortunately France ( and much of Europe) is getting ever closer to outright civil war and several leading French intellectuals have aknowledged this fact. Perhaps Le Pen can get this done relatively peacefully; but it will probably get very ugly. France is in a pre-revolutionary state with the political establishment discredited and despised by a large percentage of the population.

[Carmine6]

Two Interviews at the restaurant where they received the medals in the story below.

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-08-22/men-describe-dramatic-moment-they-overpowered-train-gunman/

[boomerangutang]

Islamist terrorists are like rust - they never sleep.

Kudos to the soldier heroes. We need more of them. I hope they broke a few bones while taking down the buttplug. I also hope they televise the soldiers getting heroism medals from French officials. Whenever I board a plane, I look around my seat to see if there are any Arab-looking men nearby. I make a mental note to myself: if they do anything rash, I will catapault my skinny body over to them in a momentito, and subdue them however I can. I would be prepared to take a knife plunged into my body, if it might help save others.

[Just1Voice]

Kind of reminds me of a something that happened a few years ago at Christmas time. 4 Marines were outside of a Walmart, using a small bell to collect donations for needy children. Some idiot decides to pull a knife and rob a Walmart cashier. He runs out the door where the Marines were, and then stabs one of the Marines (not seriously). By the time the cops got there, this guy was screaming for the cops to arrest him and get him away from the Marines, who had broken his jaw, both his arms, one of his legs, and something like 6 ribs. The best part of the whole story was when the Chief of Police said - and with a straight face! - the guy suffered injuries when he tripped and fell off the curb.

[Tywais]

Alek Skarlatos was one of three Americans who rescued hundreds of

passengers from agunman in Belgium, France, with the help of a

British man. His friend Spencer Stone was injured while subduing

the gunman. (Facebook)

“Get him!”

Those were the words Alek Skarlatos yelled when he saw a gunman emerge from a bathroom on a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, CNN reported. His words spurred his friends into action, stopping what could have been a horrific attack. Alek Skarlatos, a member of the Oregon National Guard, was one of three Americans who, with the help of a British man, saved possibly hundreds of passengers from being massacred. They were on a train in Belgium, Thalys 9364, when the attempted attack occurred, according to KDRV. Skarlatos and his friends, Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler, were alerted when they heard the gunman loading ammo in a bathroom on the train. They subdued him, but Stone and two other passengers were injured in the process. A video in Fact #3, below, shows the men after subduing the gunman. The Americans were heroes and saved hundreds of lives.

Here’s what you need to know.

More here - heavy.com