American who helped thwart train attack arrives home
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the three Americans who were hailed as heroes after stopping an gunman on a train heading to Paris returned home to Sacramento on Tuesday night.
Anthony Sadler, 23, landed at Sacramento International Airport just before 7 p.m. He arrived home after landing in Portland on a private flight from France earlier in the day.
Sadler is a senior at Sacramento State University. He, along with Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos who are both originally from Carmichael, were riding the train Friday when an man came into their train car and showed a weapon. Sadler said they heard a gunshot and then saw a man carrying an assault rifle.
Skarlatos is a member of the Oregon National Guard and Stone serves in the Air Force. Sadler and Skarlatos said Stone tackled the suspect, and then all three beat the suspect until he was unconscious. With the help of another passenger, they tied up the suspect.
French authorities identified the gunman as Ayoub El-Khazzani, 26, a Moroccan with ties to radical Islamist groups and who may have traveled to Syria recently. His lawyer, Sophie David, said on French TV that her client claims he was just homeless and hungry and wanted to rob the train and then jump out a window.
Stone is undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Germany for injuries suffered in the attack. Skarlatos is with Stone in Germany.
The three men were awarded France's highest honor Monday morning. A parade is being set up to honor the three once they all return home, according to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
John Dickson, who arrived on the same plane as Sadler, called him a good friend from the three years they have spent together at Sacramento State University.
He said no one noticed Sadler was on the plane until he was approached on board by a TV producer.
“He was very relaxed,” Dickson said as he left the Sacramento airport. “Very low key.”
“We were supposed to link up in Europe, but it never happened,” he said.
Alina Ezzi was at the Sacramento airport Tuesday hoping to greet Sadler after hearing of his pending arrival through the media.
“I’ve just been super interested in it,” said the San Francisco State University student. “It’s a fascinating story: People see what happens and decide to stand up. … I feel like our society is finally stepping up to the plate.”
She said that sort of heroic behavior should be rewarded after the 9/11 attacks.
Contributing: The Associated Press