Unarmed Americans Foil Gunman on French Train, Officials Say

Jesus Christ. Were they riding in the irony car?

The Daily Mail reports:

A group of unarmed U.S. 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 U.S. 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. It is understood that the gunman boarded the train, which had more than 550 passengers on board, in Brussels and made his move as soon as it crossed into France. Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the Marines for their timely intervention. He said: "Thanks to them we have averted a drama. [The Americans were] particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances." 

The man was arrested by police near the town of Arras in northern France. Belgian journalist Marin Buxant tweeted that the U.S. 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 recognized the sound of a weapon being armed and decided to act immediately. Train company Thalys confirmed the incident happened. A spokesman said: "The situation is under control, the travelers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site." No one at the SNCF French railways was immediately available to comment on the report. A report on Twitter said that three U.S. Marines detained the gunman until emergency services arrived. The incident happened at approximately 6 p.m. local time. The motives behind the attack were not immediately known, although a spokesman for the interior minister said: "It is too early to speak of a terrorist link'" The incident happened approximately 115 miles north of Paris near the town of Arras.