On Friday, August 21, a gunman suddenly opened fire on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday, wounding two people before three American passengers and a Briton subdued him, officials said. The three Americans and one Briton acted with courage, calmness and focus, earning the highest praise from train passengers and France’s government officials and saving many. Today they were awarded France’s highest honor, a Legion of Honor medal.
Just after the struggle took place and the gunman had been caught, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, speaking in Arras in northern France where the suspected was detained, said one of the Americans was hospitalized with serious wounds. Their names were not immediately released.
Philippe Lorthiois, an official with the Alliance police union, said on i-Tele that the two Americans were soldiers. In Washington, the Pentagon said it “can only confirm that…Read More>>
Now more of the story has been revealed, including the aggressive, intense struggle that took place in the train to subdue the gunman.
…The three men, plus Norman, were in the same train car when gunfire erupted. Shortly afterward, a shirtless man appeared with a gun slung over his shoulder. He’d already struggled with Moogalia [who had been shot in the neck but survived strong] and another man who has not been publicly identified yet.
“He never said a word,” said Sadler, a student at California State University in Sacramento. “At that time, it was either do something or die.”
They charged at the gunman, and a fierce struggle ensued.
“He kept pulling more weapons left and right,” said Stone, his arm in a sling from injuries suffered in the struggle. “He seemed like he was ready to fight to the end. So were we.”
They punched the suspect, choked him and hit him with his own weapons. They finally restrained him before the train pulled up in Arras in northern France.
Stone tackled the attacker first. He was hospitalized and released.
“It is clear that their heroic actions may have prevented a far worse tragedy,” said President Barack Obama, who phoned the three Americans.
Norman, the Briton, said he was honored to receive the medal and ecstatic to be alive, along with all the passengers on the train.
“I am happy that no one got hurt,” he said. “Spence and Alek are the two guys who we should really thank the most because they were the first ones who actually got up and did it.” READ THE FULL STORY HERE>>