US Servicemembers stop active shooter on board Paris train

[Rapid]

Details on this are still a bit fuzzy, but bear with me here.

A couple of US Marines in civilian clothing/on leave just stopped an active shooter (armed with a Kalashnikov, no less) on board a train traveling between Amsterdam and Paris.

The suspect in question went into the train's toilets with a large bag -- two Marines nearby then heard the sound of a weapon being loaded. As soon as the suspect came out of the toilets, they demanded that he open his bag. At this point, the suspect snatched his weapon out and managed to wound one of the Marines. A struggle ensued and another person (the other Marine?) was also wounded, though with a melee weapon. The suspect was eventually restrained and is now being interrogated.

I think those Marines may have just averted a huge disaster. Suspect was also armed with other guns.

The BBC just put up a link. They don't cover a lot of the detail (no mention of the Marines yet, or how it went down), but they'll eventually catch up:

France train shooting: Three hurt and man arrested - BBC News

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Ooh-Fucking-Rah!

 

[Rapid]

One of the passengers shared this photo

Hey, I hate Steven Seagal, but it's appropriate in this case. :-"

 

[Red Flag 1]

Details on this are still a bit fuzzy, but bear with me here.

A couple of US Marines in civilian clothing/on leave just stopped an active shooter (armed with a Kalashnikov, no less) on board a train traveling between Amsterdam and Paris.

The suspect in question went into the train's toilets with a large bag -- two Marines nearby then heard the sound of a weapon being loaded. As soon as the suspect came out of the toilets, they demanded that he open his bag. At this point, the suspect snatched his weapon out and managed to wound one of the Marines. A struggle ensued and another person (the other Marine?) was also wounded, though with a melee weapon. The suspect was eventually restrained and is now being interrogated.

I think those Marines may have just averted a huge disaster. Suspect was also armed with other guns.

The BBC just put up a link. They don't cover a lot of the detail (no mention of the Marines yet, or how it went down), but they'll eventually catch up:

France train shooting: Three hurt and man arrested - BBC News

Outstanding!!

 

[Grunt]

Outstanding job, my Brothers!

Outstanding indeed!

 

[Rapid]

As I might have been unclear, this was not just a random, mentally unstable, active shooter. Those Marines intervened at what was almost certainly the prelude to a Mumbai-style terrorist attack.

The suspect is known to the security services. Unfortunately, there will never be enough resources to follow every single extremist in Europe 24/7. And we can't exactly put them all in camps, because, well, you know...

So hey, that's what mass immigration (of 3rd world Islamists) brings you -- Europe reaps what it sows. Fortunately, 'luck' intervened big time today. I can imagine the headlines had those Marines not been there at the right time.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Sounds as if one of the Marines was shot in the fight - condition being reported as critical - damn it -

L I N K

A US Marine is in critical condition after tackling a Kalashnikov-wielding gunman on a train between Amsterdam and Paris, according to French media reports.

The serviceman, who has not been named, was one of two Americans - possibly embassy guards - who tackled the 26-year-old Moroccan national to the ground after hearing him load up a gun in the toilet.

In the scuffle, one of the Marines was shot and is now in a critical condition, France Info reports. He was airlifted to CHR hospital in Lille, France. The other Marine was stabbed, and has been taken to the central hospital of Arras with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Addressing reporters at the station in Arras, northern France, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised their bravery.

'I would like to express our gratitude to and admiration for these two American passengers,' said Cazeneuve.

'Thanks to the calm composure of the two American passengers, we have avoided a tragedy. Without them we would have faced a terrible drama.'

'They were particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'

 

[CDG]

Outfuckingstanding Marines! Well done!

 

[poison]

Once again, America rescues Europe. ;) Go Marines!

 

[racing_kitty]

Great job, Marines!!! My prayers to the wounded for a speedy recovery.

From the BBC link in the OP:

The man arrested was a 26-year-old Moroccan. Anti-terrorist officers have taken over the case.

They misspelled "lunatic, right wing, Trump-fellating, misogynist nut job." /sarc

 

[CQB]

Awesome! I read the jundi had 9 mags.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Awesome! I read the jundi had 9 mags.

At least that:

 

[Blizzard]

I'm hearing one was actually an Airman and the other a Guardsman from Oregon.

Regardless, Bravo Zulu and speedy recovery.

 

[AWP]

I'm just glad to see Americans acting the way Americans should. I see too many self-righteous dickbags who think the world owes them something because of their passport. These guys also didn't sit back, watch, and then complain about gun laws or how the police should do more or the temperature of their coffee. They saw a threat and they stepped up, risking their lives in the process. I'd love to see people doing this regardless of nationality, ethnicity, sex, etc., but on a personal level I'm even happier with the outcome because of their passport. That they wear uniforms is icing on the cake.

Well done guys, and thank you.

 

[Muppet]

I'm just glad to see Americans acting the way Americans should. I see too many self-righteous dickbags who think the world owes them something because of their passport. These guys also didn't sit back, watch, and then complain about gun laws or how the police should do more or the temperature of their coffee. They saw a threat and they stepped up, risking their lives in the process. I'd love to see people doing this regardless of nationality, ethnicity, sex, etc., but on a personal level I'm even happier with the outcome because of their passport. That they wear uniforms is icing on the cake.

Well done guys, and thank you.

So fucking right..

M.

 

[x SF med]

Bringing fists to a gunfight, in somebody else's backyard shows balls, concern and humanity. Well done men.

 

[Centermass]

I'm hearing one was actually an Airman and the other a Guardsman from Oregon.

Regardless, Bravo Zulu and speedy recovery.

You would be correct.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A National Guard soldier from Roseburg was among two American service members who took down a gunman who opened fire on a French train Friday.

Alek Skarlatos of Roseburg was riding the train during a European vacation when a young man armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and a box cutter opened fire.

Skarlatos and his traveling companion –Spencer Stone, who is in the Air Force – heard the gunshots from an adjacent car, according to his father Emanuel Skarlatos.

“Of course they knew exactly what it was, being in the military,” Emanuel said.

The gunman then entered the car with Skarlatos and Stone, where he stopped to reload.

“That gave them the opportunity to bum-rush him, basically,” Emanuel said.

According to his father, Alek managed to grab the rifle during the struggle and strike the gunman with the butt of the weapon, but not before the gunman slashed Stone with a box cutter.

Skarlatos and Stone helped tie up the gunman until they reached the next station. A video from Skarlatos’ Facebook page showed the gunman hog-tied on the ground with the rifle resting nearby.

Link

 

[AWP]

I won't out Amn. Stone's PII except to say that he's not in a Battlefield Airman AFSC, so that adds another layer of "awesome" to this story.

 

[policemedic]

Well done, men. A lot of lives were saved by your actions.

 

[Rapid]

I'm hearing one was actually an Airman and the other a Guardsman from Oregon.

Regardless, Bravo Zulu and speedy recovery.

A lot of civilian Frenchies use the term "Marines" interchangeably to describe anyone in the US Military (this may piss a few people off ), so I can see the confusion.

Well done, men. A lot of lives were saved by your actions.

No doubt. There were hundreds of people on that train.