Authorities praised two U.S. military members and their friend who tackled and subdued a man armed with guns and a box cutter on a Paris-bound train Friday as it sped through Belgium, breaking up what could have been a deadly terrorist attack.
The three Americans were seated on the train when they heard a gunshot and breaking glass, according to accounts from one of the men and a U.S. official briefed on the attack.
Crouching behind their seats, the Americans, who are childhood friends, decided they had to act. Airman First Class Spencer Stone, 23 years old, ran toward the gunman and tackled him.
"I told him to go, and he went," Alek Skarlatos, 22, a member of the Oregon National Guard who had been deployed in Afghanistan, said Saturday.
"Spencer ran a good 10 meters to get to the guy. And we didn't know that his gun wasn't working or anything like that," he added. Mr. Skarlatos then said he ran up behind and grabbed the assailant's AK-47 rifle, and then their friend, student Anthony Sadler, 23, came to help.* * *French officials praised the Americans' bravery, as well as that of an unnamed Frenchman who initially confronted the man. The office of French President François Hollande said he had spoken by phone with those who had subdued the attacker, and would invite them shortly to the Élysée Palace to thank them personally. The French president also said he had thanked U.S. President Barack Obama by phone.* * *The man was armed with an AK-47 and nine additional magazines of ammunition, a 9 millimeter automatic handgun with an additional magazine and a box cutter, Mr. Cazeneuve said.
The Frenchman attempted to subdue the attacker but was faced with gunfire. That was when the Americans ran to intervene, Mr. Cazeneuve said.
On one point, we can be very glad the initial report was incorrect. Airman Stone's injuries were not as severe as initially reported.
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