One of the three Americans who helped stop a terror attack aboard a high-speed train in France in August also attends Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, where a gunman opened fire on Thursday, killing 10 and injuring seven others.
U.S. Army Spc. Alek Skarlatos is a member of the Army National Guard in Oregon and is studying at UCC for a career in law enforcement. Skarlatos tweeted out Thursday night that he was on his way home and asked his followers to "send thoughts and prayers to the families" of the victims.
Heading home to roseburg tonight. Everyone send thoughts and prayers to the families
— alek skarlatos (@alekskarlatos) October 2, 2015Skarlatos was in the middle of rehearsal for ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" on Thursday when he got the call and learned that his school had come under attack by a gunman. According to TMZ, he "immediately" left the studio and began making calls back home to see if his friends were safe.
"Everyone send prayers out to UCC," Skarlatos tweeted out as he left.
Everyone send prayers out to ucc
— alek skarlatos (@alekskarlatos) October 1, 2015Skarlatos, along with U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone and Sacramento State University student Anthony Sadler, was awarded the Legion of Honor medal by France's President Francois Hollande after they were hailed as heroes for thwarting an attack aboard the train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris in August.
President Barack Obama met with the three at the White House last month, where he said they "represent the very best of America."
President Barack Obama poses for a photograph with Oregon National Guardsman, from left, Alek Skarlatos Air Force Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, and Anthony Sadler, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 17, 2015, to honor them for heroically subduing a gunman on a Paris-bound passenger train last month. (AP/Andrew Harnik)
Skarlatos displayed that same attitude in a statement he released upon learning of the news, saying that he wishes he could have been there to stop it. Skarlatos revealed during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that he would have been on campus were it not for "Dancing with the Stars" rehearsal.
"While I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in August aboard a train bound for Paris, I only wish that the same could be said for today," Skarlatos said, according to Access Hollywood.
(H/T: WITI-TV)
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