French train shooting: US marines overpower Moroccan gunman

Two U.S. passengers aboard a train in northern France managed to overpower a heavily armed gunman who opened fire and injured three people, saving the lives of many.

The incident took place on the high-speed Thalys service near Arras where the attacker was eventually arrested. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve appreciated the Americans’ effort. Two passengers, including one of the Americans, were seriously injured during the incident. One of them suffered a gunshot would while the other a knife injury.

The gunman has been identified as a 26-year-old Moroccan who used an automatic pistol, a knife, a Kalashnikov and cartridges on the train. Anti-terrorist officers have taken over after the case.

According to French media, intelligence services were aware of the arrested man who has refused to talk to police. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel called the incident a "terrorist attack."

French media also reported the American passengers, responsible for overpowering the Moroccan suspect, were U.S. marines. According to reports, they heard the man loading a weapon in the toilet and challenged him when he came out of the cubicle.

The NY Times reported the train was moving from Amsterdam to Paris. The shooting started when the train was passing through Belgium.

Cazeneuve travelled to Arras after the attack and praised the American passengers for overpowering the gunman. He said they were "particularly courageous and showed great bravery in very difficult circumstances," the BBC quoted him as saying, "Without their composure we could have been confronted with a terrible incident."

The French minister added “the greatest care and the greatest precision” would be used to deal with the case. According to him, the attack took place at 5:45 p.m. local time (1:45 a.m. on Aug. 22, Sydney time).

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