French train shooting: Three injured after gunman opens fire on Amsterdam to Paris train, and is apprehended by US military members
The gunman was apprehended by two American passengers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A gunman has injured three people - two critically - after he opened fire on a high-speed French train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris.
The suspect, who was reportedly armed with a rifle, automatic pistol, a knife and nine magazines of ammunition, opened fire on the Thalys train at around 6pm local time (4pm BST), and was apprehended by two American passengers, believed to be US Marines.
The Pentagon confirmed that one US military member received non-life-threatening injuries in the incident, but did not confirm what branch of the military they came from.
The train was travelling through Belgium at the time of the incident, which culminated in the gunman being arrested in the northern French border-town of Arras.
Describing the American passengers as "courageous", French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that one of the men was hospitalised with serious wounds. A second person was also seriously hurt and a third is being treated for minor injuries, according to a statement from President Francois Hollande's office.
Of the three injured, one was hurt by a gunshot and the other with a knife, according to the French daily Le Monde.
Most of the train's 554 passengers were taken to a gym hall shortly after the train was stopped to be identified, according to Le Monde.
The American passengers "were particularly courageous and showed great bravery in very difficult circumstances", said Cazeneuve, adding that "without their sangfroid we could have been confronted with a terrible drama".
The pair were off-duty members of the military, and approached the man after hearing the sound of a heavy weapon being loaded in the toilet, the La Voix du Nord newspaper reported. They responded by stopping him from entering the main train aisle.
The train was evacuated following the shooting, and the suspect was taken into custody, Pierre-Henri Brandet, a spokesman for the French Interior Ministry has said.
French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade was reportedly lightly wounded when he broke glass to sound the alarm.
A Kalashnikov was used during the shooting, according to reports from La Voix du Nord.
Speaking on the BFM TV station, Brandet added that the identity of the gunman and the motivation for the attack is unknown.
However, Sliman Hamzi, an official with the police union Alliance, told the AP news agency that the man was a 26-year-old Moroccan.
Phillipe Lorthois, also from Alliance, told French TV that the gunman shot one victim and injured another with a bladed weapon.
Officers from France's special anti-terror police are leading the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office said. Following his arrest, he has refused to speak to police in Arras, Le Monde reported.
The suspect has appeared on a French intelligence bureau list, according to the AFP news angecy.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, writing on Twitter, called the incident a "terrorist attack".
President Hollande is co-operating with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, according a statement from the French government.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it did not believe British nationals were among the injured, following previous reports that a member of the British military stopped the gunman.
More to follow
Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments