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Europe
U.S. Marines Take Down Kalashnikov Gunny On Paris Train, Chapter Two
2015-08-22
AoS at 0930 CT: correct service bulldog substituted per suggestions in comments.
[DAILYMAIL.CO.UK] One of the hero Marines who foiled a planned terror attack on a French train was fighting for his life after being shot in the neck while disarming the crazed gunman on Friday.

The two unarmed servicemen spotted the 26-year-old Moroccan acting suspiciously and heard him trying to arm his weapon in the toilet of the high speed train between Amsterdam and Gay Paree.

The gunman got on the train in Brussels and attempted his attack soon after crossing the French border. The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who was known to security services, came out of the toilet brandishing the gun and opened fire. Fortunately, two US Marines were nearby and overpowered him before he could massacre passengers. The suspected terrorist had at least nine full magazines of ammunition holding almost 300 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.

Unfortunately, one of the Marines was shot and is believed to be in a critical condition. It is feared that he was shot in the neck by the gunman.

It is understood that the gunman boarded the train, which had more than 550 passengers on board, in Brussels and made his move as soon as it crossed into La Belle France. French media claim that the suspect was previously known to French security services and was living in Spain. He has already been linked to a number of radical Islamic groups. He was classed, according to La Belle FranceInfo.fr as 'potentially dangerous'.

Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the Marines for their timely intervention.

He said: 'Thanks to them we have averted a drama. (The Americans were) particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'

The man was tossed in the calaboose
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
 by police near the town of Arras in northern La Belle France.

Belgian journalist Marin Buxant Tweeted that the US Marines were on leave in Brussels when they spotted the man and followed him on the train. When the suspect went into the toilet, the Marines recognised the sound of a weapon being armed and decided to act immediately. Train company Thalys confirmed the incident happened. A front man said: 'The situation is under control, the travellers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site.'

A report on Twitter said that two US Marines detained the gunman until emergency services arrived. The incident happened at approximately 6pm local time.

The motives behind the attack were not immediately known, although a front man for the interior minister said: 'It is too early to speak of a terrorist link'.
Moroccan national smuggles AK-47 onto train, comes out of the toilet shooting, but it's too early to suggest a terrorist link.
The incident happened approximately 115 miles north of Gay Paree near the town of Arras.
Posted by:Fred

#19  A pointed blow to the windpipe would have adjusted his idle screw.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2015-08-22 23:03  

#18  Shoulda grabbed the AK and shot the perp in the privates.

But given the circumstances, BRAVO ZULU!
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2015-08-22 20:45  

#17  Yes, number 15, gonna have to get a President who gets rid of the bad people here because these heroic young men shouldn't have to watch their backs when they get home.
Posted by: Chagum de Medici7989   2015-08-22 17:15  

#16  Mad Muslim petroleum pumpers,
Koran-crazy he-camel-humpers,
Please go and tell Allah
In Muslim Valhalla
These kids is some bad muzzle thumpers.
Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220   2015-08-22 16:01  

#15  Meanwhile O & Co are letting people like the perp come into this country without stopping them. Who is the enemy?
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2015-08-22 12:53  

#14  Known wolf who'd been to Syria, according to The Times of Israel:

[The miscreant] is understood to have lived in both Spain and France, and a Spanish counter-terrorism source told AFP he travelled to war-torn Syria last year.

“Once in France he went to Syria, then returned to France,” the source said.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Spanish intelligence services had flagged the man to the French authorities “due to his membership of the radical Islamist movement.”

Their friend, US student Anthony Sadler, told French TV the attacker “didn’t stand a chance.”

“He didn’t say anything. He was just telling us to give back his gun. ‘Give me back my gun! Give me back my gun!'” said Sadler.

A 62-year-old British consultant, Chris Norman, was also praised for helping subdue the gunman, as was a Frenchman who had earlier tried to stop him as he came out of the toilet carrying a gun.

“The bravery of Mr Norman and the other passengers helped to prevent a terrible incident,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron in a statement.

The train heroes are to be received by President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace “in the coming days”, his office said in a statement.
Posted by: trailing wife   2015-08-22 12:49  

#13  Not Marines. A civilian, Army National Guard, and Air Force. Well done!
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2015-08-22 12:24  

#12  Might have to change the pic:

"Thank God for the Americans who were there. Yesterday they were wrongly identified as Marines by media. Spencer Stone is a U.S. Airman, Alek Skarlatos was in the Oregon National Guard, just back from Afghanistan, and Anthony Sadler was a student friend traveling with them. Above is Sadler and Skarlatos, below is Stone, who was injured." [LINK]
Posted by: Blossom Unains5562   2015-08-22 11:23  

#11  I predict the French will not let this go unnoticed or unrewarded. Croix de guerre's I suspect, in a public ceremony in Paris.
Posted by: Besoeker   2015-08-22 10:11  

#10  Great job. Good for our military. Took down this terrorist POS and hogtied him.
Posted by: JohnQC   2015-08-22 10:07  

#9  Now we know how Marines fell when they're called soldiers. ;)
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-08-22 09:58  

#8  (all kidding aside, might want to put an Army Dawg and USAF Airdale up there instead)

Whoever did it, it wasn't the typical 'fragile flower' that the US School systems try to churn out.

They assessed what was going on (without reading from a PC script) and acted.

Bravo!!!
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2015-08-22 08:59  

#7  Get that bulldog down. Damn marines get credit, Army does the grunt work. /kidding

(all kidding aside, might want to put an Army Dawg and USAF Airdale up there instead)
Posted by: OldSpook   2015-08-22 08:49  

#6   "Spencer got to the guy first, grabbed the guy by the neck and I grabbed the handgun, got the handgun away from the guy and threw it.

"Then I grabbed the AK, which was at his feet and started muzzlethumping him in the head with it."

Hahahaha!!! Getting beat down with your own gun. Good on these guys for taking down this piece of shit.
Posted by: DarthVader   2015-08-22 08:46  

#5  Very nicely done !
Posted by: Besoeker   2015-08-22 02:20  

#4  An Oregon Army National Guard member from Roseburg was one of three Americans who stopped a gunman who opened fire Friday aboard a high-speed train passing through Belgium.

The guard member, 22-year-old Alek Skarlatos, had wrapped up a tour in Afghanistan in July and was spending a month in Europe with friends, his stepmother Karen Skarlatos told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday night.

He was on the Amsterdam-to-Paris train with a group, including childhood friends Anthony Sadler, a senior at Sacramento State University, and Spencer Stone, a member of the U.S. Air Force, Sadler told the Associated Press.

"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 drama. Then, they saw a gunman entering the train car with an automatic rifle, he said.

"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. And the three of us beat him until he was unconscious."

Another passenger helped tie the gunman up, and Stone then helped another passenger who had been wounded in the throat and losing blood, Sadler said.

"The gunman never said a word," he added.

The suspect is a 26-year-old Moroccan, according to Sliman Hamzi, an official with the Alliance police union. CNN, citing an unnamed European official, said the attacker had been on the radar of European counterterrorism agencies for his radical jihadist views.

The Americans were widely praised for their bravery. The White House issued a statement saying that President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting, and said, "While the investigation into the attack is in its early stages, it is clear that their heroic actions may have prevented a far worse tragedy."

Maj. Stephen Bomar, an Oregon Military Department spokesman, would confirm only that one of the Americans was attached to Oregon National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade Combat team but declined to name him.

"It's fantastic that no matter who it was, someone stepped up to stop such a horrific event," Bomar said. "We're absolutely proud that it happened to be someone from the Oregon Army National Guard."

oreganlive.com

They did hear the weapon being loaded and were ready according to other reports. One witness said people frooze but the service men had balls and took him down.
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2015-08-22 02:07  

#3  
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2015-08-22 01:55  

#2  Don't try this shit with Marines, 11B, special forces, SEALs, etc. in the area.

They WILL beat your sorry ass.
Posted by: DarthVader   2015-08-22 01:24  

#1  US Marines were on leave in Brussels when they spotted the man and followed him on the train. When the suspect went into the toilet, the Marines recognised the sound of a weapon being armed and decided to act immediately.

Beware: After Chattanooga the Marines are definitely on yo arse, Mohammed.
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2015-08-22 00:29  

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