Family: Midlothian man 1st American to tackle Paris train gunman
CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) - Virginia relatives of 51-year-old Mark Moogalian said the Midlothian native was the first American to disarm a gunman on a train en route to Paris, with the former Chesterfield resident now recovering in a French hospital.
"Without his actions, a lot of people on that train probably would have been shot, if he didn't do what he did," said a family member in a phone interview Sunday.
The Midlothian native now teaches at the Sorbonne, and was on the train with his wife. A French passenger first struggled with the gunman, and then Moogalian leapt out of his seat.
"Mark jumps into him immediately, grabs the AK-47," said the family member who did not want to be identified.
"He wrestles it from him. Once it's free, Mark turns around and starts yelling, 'get off the train, get off the train,' starts running towards his wife to make sure she's out of harms way."
"But what he didn't know is that the gunman had a pistol."
Moogalian was then shot in the back. His family said the bullet went into his lung and exited near his collarbone.
"Mark goes down, the gunman gets the AK-47 from him, and then proceeds to the second car."
The second car is where two American service members and their life long friend were sitting. The attacker though, had a problem.
"And that's when I guess the gun jams. And that's when the American and the British jumped in and finished what Mark started."
Moogalian dreamed of going to France decades ago, and now resides there as a dual citizen. He is passionate about his music and art in Paris, and is now recovering in a Northern French hospital.
"We're very proud of what he did. It was a very selfless act to protect his wife and everyone on the train."
"It's one of those things every man questions for himself: Will I be ready to stand up when the time comes."
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