US airman recalls gunman struggle on high-speed train

Fellow friend Anthony Sadler and British passenger Chris Norman pinned the attacker down and stripped him of his weapons. Norman first thought about hiding but then said to himself that the suspect would kill him anyways so he joined in. When the suspect appeared with a gun on their auto, Skarlatos mobilized others, witnesses said. They left roughly 10 days ago, according to Stone’s public Facebook page.

Giving his name as Ayoub, the assailant was armed with a Kalashnikov, an automatic pistol and a box cutter which he said had found by chance in a Brussels park. “Now he’s an actual hero”.

El-Khazzani was being questioned by French counter-terrorism police who confirmed through fingerprints their suspicions that he was the same man who had been brought to their attention in February previous year.

Mr Cazeneuve said on Saturday that the identity of the suspect had not been “established with certainty”, but official sources later said he had been identified through fingerprints.

Bullets sounded and the Americans moved in.

The Kalashnikov-toting attacker was removed from the Amsterdam to Paris train at Arras in northern France, as was an arsenal of weapons. A heavily guarded caravan was seen arriving night at the US ambassador’s residence in Paris, apparently escorting the three Americans, who had been travelling together in Europe.

They, along with Mr Norman, have received bravery medals from the local mayor after the attack on the train, which had more than 500 passengers on board.

Sadler described seeing a train employee running down the aisle, followed by a man with a rifle.

“My friend Alek Skarlatos yells, ‘Get him!'” said Anthony Sadler, who was among the three.

Spencer Stone, a member of the US Air Force, got to him first but was slashed in the neck and thumb with the box cutter.

“As soon as we saw him, we all ran back there”.

Stone tackled the gunman but was cut with a knife. “This is what they do”, said Heidi Hansen, Skarlatos’ mother. “I didn’t realize how bad they were”, Stone said.

The presidents of the United States and France are now praising the young men who jumped into action.

The parents of Alek Skarlatos are interviewed by a Sacramento television station.

French authorities say the suspect had previously lived in the southern Spanish city of Algeciras and frequented a mosque under surveillance there.

He is reported to have lived in France, Spain, and Belgium and to have travelled to Syria.

The alleged attacker, named as 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayob El Khazzani, opened fire with an assault rifle but was wrestled to the floor by three American passengers hailed as heros.

Currently, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor is investigating the incident.

“We didn’t know if the gun wasn’t working or anything like that”.

Authorities say his bold decision to act may have saved hundred of lives. Belgium also announced it was imposing stricter security on trains.

Three childhood friends from the Sacramento area on a European vacation sprung into action when a gunman attacked on board a high speed train to Paris.

There were 550 people on the train when the (presumed) terrorist attacked.

A French passenger tried to disarm Khazzani as he exited a toilet cubicle, but he got away and fired several shots.