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2 U.S. military members take down terrorist on train headed for Paris

A victim of today's shooting on a Thayls train, that was headed for Paris. Photo Credit: Twitter

Update (22AUG2015)

The latest on the gunman who was subdued by passengers after opening fire at a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris (all times local Paris time):

1:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. GMT)

Spencer Stone, an American Air Force serviceman stabbed while tackling a gunman on a European train, has been transferred to a larger hospital in northern France.

The Pentagon has said Stone’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Two officials at the hospital in the northern French city of Arras where Stone was initially treated said he was transferred Saturday to a larger hospital in Lille. They did not provide a reason for the move.

Stone’s traveling companions say he intervened to immobilize the suspect, and the gunman stabbed Stone with a box-cutter. Stone then acted quickly to help reduce the bleeding of another wounded passenger, they said, praising his bravery.

Stone is stationed in the Azores and is from Carmichael, California, according to the stepmother of one of the Americans aboard.

1:25 p.m. (11:25 a.m. GMT)

French President Francois Hollande will meet with several American and French citizens who helped subdue a gunman on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris.

Hollande’s office said in a statement Saturday that he would meet with them at the presidential palace in the coming days to “express France’s gratitude.”

Three Americans, a British passenger and a French passenger were involved in the action to wrestle the man to the ground and disarm him after he fired a weapon on the train, according to accounts from three of them and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

Two people were wounded in the incident Friday night — an American Air Force serviceman who was stabbed while intervening, and a French-American dual national who was hit by chance by gunfire, Cazeneuve said.

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 (21AUG2015 6:00 PM EST)

A frightening situation out of France today where a gunman has reportedly opened fire aboard a Paris-bound train, injuring three people.

According to the Guardian, the shooting happened at around 6pm local time, as the train was travelling near Arras in northern France.  French media says the gunman was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and  also with knives.

The high-speed Thalys train originated in Amsterdam.

The local paper “La Voix du Nord” reported that two U.S. Marines aboard the train overpowered the man. It’s believed the Marines intervened when they heard the man loading heavy ammunition in a toilet on the train. Some media outlets are reporting that both Marines were injured, one by gunfire and the other after being attacked with a knife.

Many French citizens have been thanking the Marines on social media.

One passenger told BFM-TV that the incident happened towards the back of the train. They noticed the train brake several times. It was diverted to the Arras station where passengers were evacuated.

The attacker – a 26-year-old man of Moroccan origin — has been detained by police, according to rt.com.

The French state rail company SNCF said, two of the victims were considered to be seriously injured. A third apparently did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. Passengers were evacuated and police have secured the area, Fox News reported.

“Talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment,” an Interior Ministry spokesman told BFM-TV.

According to prosecutors, French counter-terrorist police have taken over the investigation.

Marines take down terrorist   French terrorist The Gunman being arrested was caught on video and uploaded to Twitter.

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