Americans help stop gunman in France

The suspect, believed to be a man of Moroccan origin who recently lived in Spain and Belgium, was reportedly armed with a slew of weapons: A Kalashnikov assault weapon, nine chargers, a Luger automatic pistol, a 9mm charger and a box cutter.

According to Le Voix du Nord, citing security sources, he was seen on a plane from Germany to Turkey in May this year, and was suspected of having wanted to reach Syria.

Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos were aboard a high-speed train en route to Paris from Amsterdam on Friday when a gunman opened fire. “If there’s a hero it’s Alexander Skarlatos and Spencer (Stone)”, said Norman, referring to the two US servicemen who made the first move on the gunman. The assailant’s gun was then fired.

Air Force member Spencer Stone remains hospitalized for injuries suffered during the tussle.

Alek Skarlatos, an Army National Guardsman assigned to an infantry unit in Roseburg, Oregon, was on vacation in Europe with his friends after a tour in Afghanistan.

A British man, Chris Norman, who with three Americans rushed a gunman on a train from Amsterdam to Paris Friday, told reporters he’d “rather be active than simply sit in the corner and be shot”.

Stone’s mother, Joyce Eskel, told ABC affiliate KXTV in Sacramento, “I really feel like they had a divine intervention and they were saved”.

“I’m getting a call now”, he said.

“I begin to tie him up with help from Chris, another passenger”.

Three of the four passengers who helped take down the gunman were awarded medals by the city of Arras.

“The President expressed his profound gratitude for the courage and quick thinking of several passengers, including US service members, who selflessly subdued the attacker”, the White House said in a statement. “We were all enormously lucky”.

Mr Stone was said to be “in good spirits” and “doing great” as he recovers in hospital.

US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter praised the three, saying that the two servicemen had shown why “on duty and off, ours is the finest fighting force the world has ever known”.

“He has a Kalashnikov.'” He said he saw train personnel running down the corridor to take refuge in their work auto, and claimed they locked the door and refused to answer desperate knocks.

Disrupt Your Feed: Who ever said Americans are bad to have around when they’re overseas? Spencer jumped up and tackled him and started getting the terrorist under control. There are reports that at least three US Marines were involved in the rescue.

A dual French-American citizen was also wounded as he was hit by chance by a gunshot on the train, which eventually stopped in Arras in northern France, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

France has been the scene of several terror attacks this year, including Charlie Hebdo magazine shooting and an attack on a Jewish supermarket in Paris. Then they spotted a gunman entering the train auto with an automatic rifle.

France has been on high alert since gunmen went on the rampage in January, killing 17 people in Paris.