Have-a-go heroes foil Moroccan train massacre

A Moroccan terrorist who boarded an express train, the Thalys service from Amsterdam Netherlands to Paris France, on Friday was wrestled to the ground, de-armed and tied up by three passengers who understood that the option was to have a go, or die.

Photo: AP Photo

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The Moroccan, 26 years of age, known to the authorities, was carrying an AK-47 assault gun, a handgun, a knife with a bag full of ammunition clips. He was detained by American citizens Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos, and a British man living in France, Chris Norman, helped to tie him up.

Chris Norman, Spencer Stone and two other unnamed persons were injured in the attack, the latter three still hospitalized. The train stopped in Arras after a passenger pulled the alarm and the Moroccan terrorist was arrested.

The brave passengers explained how the incident unfolded: they spotted the Moroccan entering the carriage of the high-speed train carrying 500 passengers carrying an automatic weapon and firing indiscriminately. The three Americans (two soldiers with the Air Force and the National Guard and a student) looked at each other and said "OK we gotta go! Go! Go! Go!"

Spencer Stone arrived first and grabbed the Moroccan by the neck, choking him, while Alek Skarlatos got the firearms away from him and started muzzle-hitting him in the head with the AK-47. Meanwhile, the terrorist was slashing out with his knife. Finally the terrorist lost consciousness and was tied up by the three heroes and the British man who arrived at the end of the confrontation.

The moral of the story is if you are a by-stander, in such a situation, do or die because you will probably die anyway. On Friday the selfless acts of ordinary passengers averted a massacre.