The suspect had a box cutter or another bladed weapon, authorities stated.
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National Guard soldier Alek Skarlatos said in an interview that his friend, Spencer Stone, who is also in the military, did not hesitate when he spotted the gunman holding what appeared to be a machine gun and tackled him.
Anthony Sadler, from Pittsburg, Calif., Aleck Sharlatos from Roseburg, Ore., and Chris Norman, a British man living in France (L-R), three men who helped to disarm an attacker on a train from Amsterdam to France, pose with medals they received for their bravery at a restaurant in Arras, France August 21, 2015. “In the process Spencer gets slashed multiple times by the box cutter, and Alek takes the AK away”.
“I ducked down in my seat”, he said. “I notice a human being had his throat cut at which Spencer begins to apply pressure to the neck wound before he bled out”.
Skarlatos, who is from Oregon, grabbed the gun and hit the attacker in the head, his brother, Peter Skarlatos, told CNN.
The suspect was identified as a Moroccan, said Sliman Hamzi, an official with police union Alliance.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is heading to Arras to meet with officials, Brandet said.
Michel and French President Francois Hollande have agreed to unite their efforts and cooperate, French officials said.
“He told me that they were on a train on their way to Paris and an armed gunman came onto the train, came out of the bathroom with an AK-47 and another weapon”, the father said.
Mr Stone needs surgery on his badly wounded hand, but his friends say he is “doing fine”.
French authorities have been on heightened alert since Islamic extremist attacks in January left 20 people dead, including the three attackers.
The White House issued a statement saying that President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting, and said, “While the investigation into the attack is in its early stages, it is clear that their heroic actions may have prevented a far worse tragedy”. “We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available”.
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Thalys is owned by the French and Belgian railways and operates high-speed trains serving Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, Germany.
