Spencer Stone, Alex Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Chris Norman - Heroes aboard a train in Europe

On August 21, 2015, a gunman got on a high speed train travelling from the Netherlands through Belgium to France. He was carrying a Kalashnikov rifle, an automatic pistol and a box cutter knife.  

There were over 550 passengers on the train. 

Spencer Stone (top left); Alek Skarlatos (top right);
Anthony Sadler (bottom left); Chris Norman (bottom right)

Reports are conflicting, however it has been stated that the train was near Arras in northern France when a male French citizen tried to stop the gunman when he saw that the man was armed. The Frenchman was injured.

Another passenger was hit by a stray bullet while seated. 

It is suspected that the gunman is a 26 year old Moroccan Islamist terrorist who may have lived in Spain during 2014 and in Belgium in 2015. However this has not been confirmed as of this posting.

Three American men heard gunshots and then saw an armed man entering their train car.  Within seconds they stepped up to take action. A British male also came to their aid.  They struggled with the gunman and had to beat the man almost into unconsciousness before he stopped resisting. He was taken into police custody in Arras, France.

The men who intervened are:

Spencer Stone (a member of the U.S. Air Force)

Alek Skarlatos (a member of the U.S. National Guard)

Anthony Sadler (a U.S. civilian)

Christopher Norman (a British citizen living in France)

Pray for all who step up
in times of great danger.
They are the true heroes of
our world. 

Spencer Stone was injured during the struggle when he was seriously cut in the hand and neck by the gunman's knife. He has undergone surgery.

Spencer Stone, age 23, from Sacramento, California, is stationed in Portugal.  Alek Skarlatos, age 23, from Roseburg, Oregon, is stationed in Afghanistan. The military men are childhood friends and were on leave. They were travelling with another friend, Anthony Sadler, a university student also from Sacramento, California. 

President Obama stated: "It is clear that their heroic actions may have prevented a far worse tragedy."

General Philip Breedlove, the U.S. Commander in Europe, praised the men for their brave intervention. 

Passengers on the train thanked the men for their courage and cool nerves in the face of this unexpected and violent attack.

Somebody had to intervene to prevent the possible slaughter of hundreds of innocents, and these men did intervene. 

Spencer Stone, Alex Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Chris Norman are all modern day heroes. 

God bless them and all who step up in times of extreme danger. Amen.