A gunman who opened fire on a train in northern France Friday was restrained by two U.S. Marines before he could do any further damage, according to initial reports of the incident.
At least two victims have serious injuries, and another suffered multiple gunshot wounds, a spokesman for the SNCF (National Society of French Railways) said Friday.
Reports stated that the man was carrying multiple weapons, including an AK47 automatic rifle, and was of North African origin. A police official told French television channel i-Tele that the suspect is a 26-year-old Moroccan national named Sliman Hamzi, the Telegraph reports.
The two seriously injured victims are American and British nationals, initial reports stated. One was injured due to a gunshot wound, and the other sustained a stabbing injury.
A French actor, Jean-Hughes Anglade, who was also injured in the attack, is being credited with sounding an alarm on the train.
“The situation is under control, the travelers are safe. The train stopped and the emergency services are on site,” the high-speed train operator, Thalys, said on its Twitter page.
French Interior ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet said in an initial comment on the attack: “Talking about a terrorist motive would be premature at the moment.” However, the BBC reports that counter terror police are on scene and have taken over the investigation.
French President Francois Hollande took to Twitter to express “solidarity” with the victims of the attack.
Je fais part de ma solidarité aux blessés de l’attaque du train Amsterdam-Paris. Tout est mis en œuvre pour faire la lumière sur ce drame.
— François Hollande (@fhollande) August 21, 2015
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