Three Americans, Briton Recognized for Preventing Train Attack

U.S. citizens Stone, Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler, along with a British Citizen and a French Actor, arrived at the French president’s residence this morning to receive the Legion of Honor. Photo of Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone. The men tackled and subdued the gunman, who was taken into custody in France.

“It looked jammed or it wasn’t working and he was trying to charge the weapon”, added Stone, who serves in the US Air Force. “So were we”. He appeared at the news conference with his left arm in a sling.

Ayoub El-Khazzani, 26, was being questioned by French counter-terrorism police who confirmed through fingerprints their suspicions that he was the man on their radar since February 2014.

Khazzani is said to have told investigators he is “dumbfounded” by accusations he intended to carry out a terror attack.

Saddler revealed on Sunday that his and his two pals had moved to the seats where they confronted El-Khazzani, from another location just 30 minutes earlier.

Yale psychology professor David Rand says it’s not quick thinking that led these men to intervene. He said surgeons had to re-attach his thumb.

The men grabbed the gunman’s pistol, but the gunman fought back with a box cutter, the friends recalled. “But in the beginning, it was mostly gut instinct“. “Our training kicked in after the struggle”.

While Stone held the man, Skarlatos used the AK-47 to beat or “muzzle thump” the attacker, while Sadler helped wrestle him to the ground.

In reconstructing the faceoff, authorities found the gunman had already shot one person in an adjacent auto before entering the compartment where the Americans and the Briton were seated.

Mr Hollande said: “A terrorist chose to commit an attack”.

“Three friends, discovering Europe – heading to Paris“, Hollande said.

Their split-second decision saved untold lives.

That’s when the other three Americans leaped into action. Took out a box cutter started jabbing at me with that. “They are my friends and I couldn’t let them go alone”.

“We’ve been together ever since”, Skarlatos said.

“If he knew what he was doing or even got lucky and did the right thing, he would have been able to operate through all eight of the magazines and we probably wouldn’t be here today along with a lot of other people”.

The Americans, wearing polo shirts and khakis against the backdrop of the highly formal presidential palace, appeared slightly overwhelmed as they received France’s highest honour. “I just can’t say enough about Spencer”.

Sadler said the takeaway from the confrontation: In times of crisis “do something….” “In times of terror like that, please do something, don’t just stand by and watch”.

Hollande said Stone and Skarlatos might be servicemen in their day-to-day lives, “but on Friday you were simply passengers”.