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Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 06:14 PM Aug 2015

US Service Members foil suspected terrorist attack (UPDATED)

Last edited Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:12 PM - Edit history (1)

Additional details to earlier reports --

Unarmed US Marines foil suspected terrorist attack onboard high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris after they take down Kalashnikov-wielding Moroccan gunman known to intelligence services

A group of unarmed US Marines on board a high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris foiled a terrorist attack after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle, wounding three people.

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.


Keep fighting, Airman.

This next part leaped out at me --


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.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html


UPDATE -- Not Marines as earlier reported.

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.

http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2015/08/oregon_national_guard_member_h.html


Thanks to Warren Demontague for the link.
125 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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US Service Members foil suspected terrorist attack (UPDATED) (Original Post) Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 OP
Semper Fi !!! chieftain Aug 2015 #1
Didn't know that was the Air Force motto as well. GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #78
This message was self-deleted by its author Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #84
Nope - read the BBC & France 24 accounts GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #85
Brave Devil Dogs. nt msanthrope Aug 2015 #2
How terrifying. narnian60 Aug 2015 #3
"Hope that Marine makes it." Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #4
So true Duckhunter935 Aug 2015 #27
Good guys without guns foil bad guy with assault rifle and lots of malaise Aug 2015 #5
+If they were armed there would only be one person shot. former9thward Aug 2015 #6
Just like gun control kept the shooter from acquiring a rifle and nine 30-round magazines. Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #7
This message was self-deleted by its author Renew Deal Aug 2015 #18
Like the foiled attack on Charlie Hebdo Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #30
Exactly. alarimer Aug 2015 #26
Women and minorities are the fastest growing segment of the gun owning population. Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #28
I'm a woman and a feminist - and I hate seeing men mocked Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #47
+1 nt steve2470 Aug 2015 #80
No telling how many lives they saved. herding cats Aug 2015 #8
+1000 smirkymonkey Aug 2015 #10
+1001 SCantiGOP Aug 2015 #24
They're no better than Westboro Baptist Church fanatics. snagglepuss Aug 2015 #42
You're not familiar with the OP, are you? friendly_iconoclast Aug 2015 #75
this nt a la izquierda Aug 2015 #50
Our bravest and finest did a good job here Gothmog Aug 2015 #9
Air Force guy. GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #92
How would they have recognized him? KamaAina Aug 2015 #11
I'm guessing a Kalashnikov and a shit ton of ammo in a bag are kind of distinctive. nt msanthrope Aug 2015 #13
If he was walking down the street like that KamaAina Aug 2015 #17
Perhaps. Perhaps not. nt msanthrope Aug 2015 #22
Marines I believe are commonly used for embassy security Yo_Mama Aug 2015 #52
embassy security leanforward Aug 2015 #58
Sorry, they weren't Marines. tabasco Aug 2015 #94
"A shit ton". That always gets me laughing! Thats a LOT! 7962 Aug 2015 #19
Brussels to Paris? Stryder Aug 2015 #36
There's two types of country in the world. Those who use the metric system and Glassunion Aug 2015 #38
Another good one! nt 7962 Aug 2015 #63
article says they heard the distinct sound of loading the gun from inside the restroom HFRN Aug 2015 #29
They weren't passengers....they saw the guy in the station and followed him onto the train. nt msanthrope Aug 2015 #57
That was after they were on the train. KamaAina Aug 2015 #65
They probably saw something that set off danger signals, GGJohn Aug 2015 #67
They've been trained at recognizing suspicious people. 7962 Aug 2015 #21
Post #12 suggests Islamophobia Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #31
Whoever post 12 is must have me on ignore yeoman6987 Aug 2015 #34
You and about 45 others according to his boasts. Frankly, I'm surprised he saw the OP. I was Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #53
... pinboy3niner Aug 2015 #56
laughing so hard right now...... 7962 Aug 2015 #64
Lol. Well their loss. Have a great weekend! yeoman6987 Aug 2015 #68
Same here davidpdx Aug 2015 #118
Marines are being taught "combat profiling" enabling them pocoloco Aug 2015 #33
They were not Marines. nt tblue37 Aug 2015 #100
They profiled him. Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #40
They weren't Marines. GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #93
The early reports were not sure it was a terrorist until his skin color and his religion were known. Fred Sanders Aug 2015 #12
Pat yourself on the back. cherokeeprogressive Aug 2015 #14
You're such a putz Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #15
Just never stops does it? 7962 Aug 2015 #20
I ask, Have you no shame sir? GGJohn Aug 2015 #35
I may be wrong... awoke_in_2003 Aug 2015 #44
You may be right, but given Fred's track record, GGJohn Aug 2015 #48
That's the way I read it. Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2015 #61
Its also often called "white supremacist" or "anti government" 7962 Aug 2015 #66
He was already known to the authorities, and I think the attack was the convincing item. Yo_Mama Aug 2015 #49
You never quit, do you? Codeine Aug 2015 #117
Wow... does this post make you look like an ASS, or what? cherokeeprogressive Aug 2015 #121
I have every confidence President Obama will ... lpbk2713 Aug 2015 #16
President Obama won't have to worry about it philosslayer Aug 2015 #59
Our police could take lessons from these Marines. Rozlee Aug 2015 #23
A U.S. cop would have shot the guy with the Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #39
I would love to believe that but... Rozlee Aug 2015 #46
Do you know how hard it is to hit an arm or leg from a distance shot? 7962 Aug 2015 #69
A Bruce Willis movie? Are you serious? Rozlee Aug 2015 #102
Unarmed? Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #114
Huh? Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #70
Damn serious. Haven't you been reading about Ferguson? Rozlee Aug 2015 #103
What the fuck are you talking about? Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #115
False. GGJohn Aug 2015 #71
What threat did Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Walter Scott pose? Rozlee Aug 2015 #105
What's that got to do with my post? GGJohn Aug 2015 #112
And again, what kind of threat needed to be neutralized in a suspect that was running away? Rozlee Aug 2015 #113
What the fuck all does any if that have to do with the OP? Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #116
*sigh* Rozlee Aug 2015 #122
What part of my post are you not understanding? GGJohn Aug 2015 #120
And I said many in the US kill even after the threat is neutralized and even when Rozlee Aug 2015 #123
That has zero to do with the training they receive in the academy, GGJohn Aug 2015 #124
Semantics. Rozlee Aug 2015 #125
Extreme bravery sarisataka Aug 2015 #25
K&R... spanone Aug 2015 #32
Oo-rah! roscoeroscoe Aug 2015 #37
Way to go, USAF andf National Guard! LiberalEsto Aug 2015 #41
No Marines were involved GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #96
bravo. this should LBN. A massacre was prevented thanks to the Marines still_one Aug 2015 #43
USA! USA! USA! ericson00 Aug 2015 #45
Do I detect sarcasm, Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #72
dead serious. Nothing wrong with chanting our country's great name ericson00 Aug 2015 #81
I love this story, Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #51
My understanding is that they were already on the train Gigabear Aug 2015 #54
That would make more sense! Thanks. NT Syzygy321 Aug 2015 #60
My understanding is that they saw the perp somewhere Snobblevitch Aug 2015 #73
Unarmed marines leanforward Aug 2015 #55
I take that train all the time DFW Aug 2015 #62
What would cause 3 presumably strange to this area to start following a stranger, and jtuck004 Aug 2015 #101
That is a very crowded train DFW Aug 2015 #109
Semper Fucking A! nt Xipe Totec Aug 2015 #74
Is that the new Air Force motto? GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #95
Read the original post without edits. You'll see they were originally identified as Marines Xipe Totec Aug 2015 #97
Been posting this for the last six hours. GoneOffShore Aug 2015 #98
Wow. (edited to add: Not Marines, one Air Force one Oregon National Guard) Warren DeMontague Aug 2015 #76
Not sure where the 'toilet' story came from - he shot, and then the 2 decided to rush him muriel_volestrangler Aug 2015 #77
The Thalys trains are very narrow and very crowded DFW Aug 2015 #89
See #79 - it now seems it was another who struggled with him first muriel_volestrangler Aug 2015 #90
KGW looks to now have some video he shot in the train... cascadiance Aug 2015 #106
it is now being reported by the french media drray23 Aug 2015 #79
Very brave, fast thinking and acting! Waiting For Everyman Aug 2015 #82
K&R Glassunion Aug 2015 #83
They were not Marines. cwydro Aug 2015 #86
In the news report linked, they were Marines. Glassunion Aug 2015 #87
And often OPs edit as new info becomes available. cwydro Aug 2015 #88
I have added an update Nuclear Unicorn Aug 2015 #91
I was in the Air Force long ago. cwydro Aug 2015 #99
And it's good to see sarisataka Aug 2015 #107
Hell to the yeah. nt cwydro Aug 2015 #108
Ain't that some shit? Take a vacation from Afghanistan and wind up having to deal with another dick hollowdweller Aug 2015 #104
I hope they made his takedown very, very painful (like loss of his tackle) NT 1939 Aug 2015 #110
Someone I know just wrote that she thought this was a false flag thing or a "plant" betsuni Aug 2015 #111
As an American and Oregonian I am proud of these guys davidpdx Aug 2015 #119

Response to GoneOffShore (Reply #78)

GoneOffShore

(17,303 posts)
85. Nope - read the BBC & France 24 accounts
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 01:21 PM
Aug 2015

One guy was Air Force, the other was National Guard.
Oh and the Brit who leant a hand was just a guy on the train.

malaise

(267,455 posts)
5. Good guys without guns foil bad guy with assault rifle and lots of
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 06:45 PM
Aug 2015

cartridges - this is not good for the NRA.

Congrats Marines!!!

former9thward

(31,684 posts)
6. +If they were armed there would only be one person shot.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 06:47 PM
Aug 2015

The terrorist. The Marines would have not been harmed. By your logic we should disarm police, military, secret service. Should work out ...

Response to Nuclear Unicorn (Reply #7)

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)
30. Like the foiled attack on Charlie Hebdo
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:10 PM
Aug 2015

Coincidentally, the first police officer to respond was unarmed. He was executed in the streets.

alarimer

(16,245 posts)
26. Exactly.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:52 PM
Aug 2015

Gun nuts are fucking cowards. Small, tiny, men who carry large weapons to make up for their shortcomings. Not one would ever do what those guys did. I'm sure they benefited from years of training, but still.

 

Syzygy321

(583 posts)
47. I'm a woman and a feminist - and I hate seeing men mocked
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 09:47 PM
Aug 2015

with small-penis jokes and tiny-little-man jokes and can't-get-laid jokes and lives-with-his-mother jokes and all the rest. Those comments are anti-man and anti-woman, and just plain offensive.

I am trying to get the word out.

Also: mocking guys for being cowards (not having physical bravery in battle) is also offensive. I certainly admire men with physical bravery (and nothing's sexier than a Marine punching out an armed terrorist) but at the same time I don't think it's every man's obligation to pound his chest and rush into a fight.

(Now *moral* courage, that's different - that's something I want from all men AND all women.)

herding cats

(19,545 posts)
8. No telling how many lives they saved.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 06:53 PM
Aug 2015

May the critical Marine make a full recovery. Those Marines all earned hero status in my book.

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
11. How would they have recognized him?
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:13 PM
Aug 2015
the US Marines were on leave in Brussels when they spotted the man and followed him on the train.


Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
52. Marines I believe are commonly used for embassy security
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:07 PM
Aug 2015

If these men had that duty, they would probably have received very specific training about identifying potential threats.

The look and weight of the bag probably alerted them, and I assume the man wasn't sauntering along gaily smiling.

leanforward

(1,071 posts)
58. embassy security
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:39 PM
Aug 2015

These guys were not sky larks, and applied their training and common sense. As I mentioned in another post, they will be recognized by the French and their lives have been changed forever. Their duty station will be changed. Is their Quantico in there future for training others?

Glassunion

(10,201 posts)
38. There's two types of country in the world. Those who use the metric system and
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:40 PM
Aug 2015

those who have been to the moon.

 

HFRN

(1,469 posts)
29. article says they heard the distinct sound of loading the gun from inside the restroom
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:10 PM
Aug 2015

and swung into action

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
57. They weren't passengers....they saw the guy in the station and followed him onto the train. nt
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:35 PM
Aug 2015

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
67. They probably saw something that set off danger signals,
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 11:22 PM
Aug 2015

if, as has been speculated, they were embassy guards, Marines are trained to look for certain suspicious actions that would indicate that someone is up to no good.
As it turned out, they were right and probably saved untold lives.

 

7962

(11,841 posts)
21. They've been trained at recognizing suspicious people.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:28 PM
Aug 2015

Most of these types have a look about them. Not casual.

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)
53. You and about 45 others according to his boasts. Frankly, I'm surprised he saw the OP. I was
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:13 PM
Aug 2015

certain I was one of the 46.

 

pocoloco

(3,180 posts)
33. Marines are being taught "combat profiling" enabling them
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:17 PM
Aug 2015

to function in every country without knowing the native language, using a person's
action and movements to help determine the possible danger.

Semper Fi for sure!!

GoneOffShore

(17,303 posts)
93. They weren't Marines.
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:40 PM
Aug 2015

Read the BBC report and interview.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34023361

Nobody followed him onto the train. Don't know where CNN gets this stuff.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
12. The early reports were not sure it was a terrorist until his skin color and his religion were known.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:13 PM
Aug 2015

Now for sure we all know!

 

awoke_in_2003

(34,582 posts)
44. I may be wrong...
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 09:21 PM
Aug 2015

but I think the poster is saying what he said to point out the fact that, when white people do a shooting the media calls it mental illness, when a brown skinned person does it it is terrorism.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
48. You may be right, but given Fred's track record,
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 09:49 PM
Aug 2015

I doubt it.
He's free to clarify his remark, but he's got me on ignore, so I'll just have to by his past statements.

 

cherokeeprogressive

(24,853 posts)
121. Wow... does this post make you look like an ASS, or what?
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 01:01 AM
Aug 2015

I'd say they didn't know he was a terrorist until he walked into the car with a fucking AK-47.

lpbk2713

(42,674 posts)
16. I have every confidence President Obama will ...
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:20 PM
Aug 2015



see that the fallen Marine will be well taken care of in every way possible.

And he won't make a show of it like some others I could think of.

 

philosslayer

(3,076 posts)
59. President Obama won't have to worry about it
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:40 PM
Aug 2015

I can assure you the French will take care of that themselves.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
23. Our police could take lessons from these Marines.
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:41 PM
Aug 2015

Two of them managed to subdue a dangerous armed suspect while it takes a dozen cops to bring down unarmed black folk in the US. My heart goes out to the injured Marine and I hope he pulls through.

Snobblevitch

(1,958 posts)
39. A U.S. cop would have shot the guy with the
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:41 PM
Aug 2015

Kalashnikov, with a better chance that neither of them would have received a critical wound.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
46. I would love to believe that but...
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 09:27 PM
Aug 2015

police officers in the US are trained to go for torso shots when firing at suspects. They aren't trained much in incapacitating shots, they are taught mostly in deadly force shootings. It's a sad fact of life here in the US that our law enforcement are taught to shoot to kill instead of shoot to disarm or render incapable.

 

7962

(11,841 posts)
69. Do you know how hard it is to hit an arm or leg from a distance shot?
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 11:26 PM
Aug 2015

The objective is always to stop the threat. "Winging him" usually only happens in the movies or by accident.
Pistols lose accuracy quickly as distance increases. Sure, at 2 feet you could hit an extremity, but even then your 1st objective is to take down the other guy.
Go to a gun range and try it out, its eye opening.

Just a week ago I saw an old Bruce Willis movie called "Hostage". The bad guys are on a house balcony and using a pistol they shoot out the windows and one cop driving up the road headed TOWARD the house. Probably at least 75 yards from the screen view. And just about impossible in real life. But we see stuff like that a LOT in the movies.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
102. A Bruce Willis movie? Are you serious?
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:18 PM
Aug 2015

To begin with, my comment wasn't about shooting at armed suspects. It was about needing to take down unarmed ones. Officers should be trained to shoot to disarm. If you say it's hard to do, maybe they should be trained to do it. US cops killed more people in March than UK cops killed in the entire 20th century. Only about over half of them were armed. Americans are being killed by cops for non-violent offenses and mere misdemeanors or no crimes at all. What's wrong with taking down an unarmed suspect without killing him? Or letting a running suspect go without shooting him in the back? In such a case, they can surely aim low and try for a non-torso shot or better, no shot at all.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
103. Damn serious. Haven't you been reading about Ferguson?
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:20 PM
Aug 2015

Do the names Tamir Rice strike a chord? Michael Brown? Walter Scott? What were they doing that merited kill shots?

Snobblevitch

(1,958 posts)
115. What the fuck are you talking about?
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 12:32 AM
Aug 2015

What does an unarmed situation have to do with what happened on that train, other than the fact that the men who stopped the terrorist had no firearms.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
71. False.
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 12:16 AM
Aug 2015

Police officers are not trained to shoot to kill, they're trained to shoot until the threat is neutralized.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
105. What threat did Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Walter Scott pose?
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:24 PM
Aug 2015

American police kill more of their own people in one year than Europeans have in the last hundred years. Almost half of them unarmed, many in the back as they're fleeing. A fleeing suspect does not pose a threat.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
112. What's that got to do with my post?
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 11:04 PM
Aug 2015

Again, police are not trained to shoot to kill, they're trained to shoot until the threat is neutralized.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
113. And again, what kind of threat needed to be neutralized in a suspect that was running away?
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 12:14 AM
Aug 2015

Or in a child playing in a park? Or a man flagging down police for help? A black American suspect is three times more likely to be killed by police than a white one and is twice as likely to be unarmed. In San Francisco recently, a half dozen cops ganged up on a homeless one-legged man to handcuff him and immobilize him on the ground for several minutes. Unless he was an X-Man, I don't see why so many were needed to accomplish such a take down. Police should never shoot an unarmed suspect that's fleeing them. They should never shoot an unarmed suspect, period, unless he's attacking them and they know they can't subdue him with physical force.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
120. What part of my post are you not understanding?
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 12:53 AM
Aug 2015

You said that police are trained to shoot to kill did you not?
I replied that police are not trained to kill, they're trained to shoot until the threat is neutralized.
That is fact.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
123. And I said many in the US kill even after the threat is neutralized and even when
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 01:43 AM
Aug 2015

there is no threat. There are very many good cops around and they risk their lives on the streets. But, unless you've been living on a deserted island, you're bound to have heard of the killings abounding in the US of unarmed black men by police and even white men. An East Indian man paralyzed for life because he didn't understand what was being said to him and kept walking away. He wasn't shot, but he was slammed to the ground and his back broken. A deaf old man shot when he didn't understand police and kept walking toward them, unarmed. A young unarmed man having a seizure was gunned down by police. They were neutralized, all right. The trouble was, they never posed a threat.

GGJohn

(9,951 posts)
124. That has zero to do with the training they receive in the academy,
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 09:00 AM
Aug 2015

during their training, they're taught to shoot until the threat is neutralized, not trained to shoot to kill.

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
125. Semantics.
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 04:02 PM
Aug 2015

They're trained to shoot center-mass, where the most vital organs are. That's neutralizing alright.

www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/police-gun-shooting-training-ferguson/383681/

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/21/police-shoot-kill-taser-force-experts-law

As the latter article states, police lobbyists have fought to keep legislation from being introduced that will introduce training for less than lethal force or minimum force. All police carry at least one other weapon besides a gun, i.e. stun gun, baton, etc.

To throw you a bone, an ex-police officer does play semantics with his training on neutralizing vs. killing. It's an interesting exercise as he understands there is no difference between the two.

www.policeone.com/use-of-force/articles/3468112-Shooting-center-mass-Shooting-to-kill-or-to-stop/

sarisataka

(18,145 posts)
25. Extreme bravery
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 07:49 PM
Aug 2015

there must be an echo in France-


Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?
GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly, USMC
near Lucy-`le-Bocage as he led the 5th Marines' attack into Belleau Wood, 6 June 1918

Best wishes to the wounded Marine and other victims
 

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)
41. Way to go, USAF andf National Guard!
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 08:50 PM
Aug 2015

Last edited Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)



The courage of the Marines who tackled this gunman while unarmed themselves, brought him down and tied him up, preventing possibly hundreds of casualties -- it's just phenomenal.
 

Syzygy321

(583 posts)
51. I love this story,
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:04 PM
Aug 2015

but remain puzzled as to why marines on leave decided to follow this guy onto a train. ??

Snobblevitch

(1,958 posts)
73. My understanding is that they saw the perp somewhere
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 12:37 AM
Aug 2015

on or near the train platform and followed him onto the train.

leanforward

(1,071 posts)
55. Unarmed marines
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:27 PM
Aug 2015

In a sense these marines were not unarmed. These gentlemen have earned some French respect. I'm waiting to hear their side of what happened. These guys stopped some unbelievable carnage. I hope and pray that the wounded marine will be okay. I know in these matters resources are available without question. The NATO establishment is present as are others, to numerous to mention. I would say there is a special mission available for the gentlemen when needed. Likewise, I hope they keep the two members of the brotherhood together, until the family reunion.

DFW

(53,932 posts)
62. I take that train all the time
Fri Aug 21, 2015, 10:50 PM
Aug 2015

It's called a Thalys. It goes from Brussels to Paris in 80 minutes, and made the air route practically obsolete. The aisles are extremely narrow. Someone bringing a bag big enough for a Kalashnikov into the toilet would cause more than a few people to wonder why. No one needs THAT much extra toilet paper.

The disturbing (but sadly not surprising) fact is that the Moroccan was known to security services, and Belgian security services patrol the train platforms for exactly this kind of guy. Or, at least, that's what they pretend to be doing.

 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
101. What would cause 3 presumably strange to this area to start following a stranger, and
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 05:57 PM
Aug 2015

then onto the train? He must have looked different from everyone else, and they were looking for...?

They must have been catching that train anyway, or does everyone carry tickets around with them?

DFW

(53,932 posts)
109. That is a very crowded train
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 08:32 PM
Aug 2015

I try to get reservations a week in advance and half the time it is already full.

Probably pure dumb luck. Brussels-Paris is 80 minutes. Sometimes people go down there for dinner and come back up to Brussels just because Paris hotels are so goddamned expensive.

GoneOffShore

(17,303 posts)
95. Is that the new Air Force motto?
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:43 PM
Aug 2015

Because the three guys involved were an Air Force guy, a National Guardsman and some Brit guy not in any branch of the US armed forces.

Xipe Totec

(43,866 posts)
97. Read the original post without edits. You'll see they were originally identified as Marines
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:47 PM
Aug 2015

And don't get too snooty, mr Johnny come lately.

GoneOffShore

(17,303 posts)
98. Been posting this for the last six hours.
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 04:53 PM
Aug 2015

Saw the original when it came out over here on both France24 and BBC.

I'm presently in Bordeaux and saw the news reports that identified the Americans as a National Guardsman and a member of the Air Force.

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
76. Wow. (edited to add: Not Marines, one Air Force one Oregon National Guard)
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 05:40 AM
Aug 2015
http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2015/08/oregon_national_guard_member_h.html

Here's wishing a full recovery to the guy who was hurt, later stories have him as attacked with a box cutter but not in critical condition, so that's good.

Well done, gentlemen. Well done.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,082 posts)
77. Not sure where the 'toilet' story came from - he shot, and then the 2 decided to rush him
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 07:37 AM
Aug 2015

and their (civilian) friend followed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34023361

It seems he shot at least once with a handgun, from which the magazine fell out at some stage; his rifle malfunctioned, and he couldn't fix it (not sure if he got any shots out of it).

DFW

(53,932 posts)
89. The Thalys trains are very narrow and very crowded
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 02:10 PM
Aug 2015

There's no way a passenger could comfortably take a gun out of a bag in the passenger compartment without having to do contortions and give people time to see what he's doing and rush him. However, if he takes a bulky bag into the toilet (and they are small enough to give anyone claustrophobia), he'll have the time to assemble his rifle, though not with much room. The doors are not thick, and if someone is familiar with this kind of firearm, the sounds of one being assembled can be heard over the sound of the train's wheels.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,082 posts)
90. See #79 - it now seems it was another who struggled with him first
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 02:21 PM
Aug 2015

and that was when the gun went off.

A Frenchman who has not been identified was the first person to discover the attacker in the train restroom -- with a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder, according to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

He "courageously tried to tackle him before the attacker fired several shots," he added.

http://www.expatica.com/fr/news/country-news/Five-who-foiled-an-attack-on-a-European-train_504868.html

After that, the Americans tackled him.
 

cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
106. KGW looks to now have some video he shot in the train...
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:37 PM
Aug 2015
http://www.kgw.com/videos/news/local/2015/08/21/32173791/

A great act by a fellow Oregonian! Thanks so much sir for saving lives, and helping rebuild our country's image too at the same time!

drray23

(7,578 posts)
79. it is now being reported by the french media
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 08:19 AM
Aug 2015

that what happened is a french passenger first came faced with the terrorist as the guy was exiting the toilets with his weapon. The french civilian the struggled with the gunman attempting to disarm him which led to the shots fired. The two US servicemen saw that and immediatly jumped in to tackle and take out the guy. All three are being hailed as heroes.

Glassunion

(10,201 posts)
87. In the news report linked, they were Marines.
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 01:35 PM
Aug 2015

Funny how the media works. First they report bullshit, or rumor, or opinion, then a few days later they finally get their story straight.

We know now (a day later) that they may not have been Marines. Who knows tomorrow they may be something else.

But the author of the OP was going with what information was available to her at the time.

sarisataka

(18,145 posts)
107. And it's good to see
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:45 PM
Aug 2015

Y'all are finally paying attention

Doesn't matter if it is a Zoomie, Jarhead or Jody-back-on-the-block, taking on an armed attacker bare-handed is something special.

 

hollowdweller

(4,229 posts)
104. Ain't that some shit? Take a vacation from Afghanistan and wind up having to deal with another dick
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 06:21 PM
Aug 2015

with an AK47 trying to kill you.

betsuni

(25,062 posts)
111. Someone I know just wrote that she thought this was a false flag thing or a "plant"
Sat Aug 22, 2015, 09:12 PM
Aug 2015

and I'm really angry. Does anyone have a suggestion as to what to say that will shut that down? Haven't seen any conspiracy theories about this yet, but they must be out there.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
119. As an American and Oregonian I am proud of these guys
Sun Aug 23, 2015, 12:51 AM
Aug 2015

They used their intuition and training and jumped into action turning what could have been a blood bath with mass casualties into a minor shooting.

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