Ex Marine with a handgun saves 100 people at Mall in Kenya

[philip964]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -amok.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hero of the Mall Massacre in Kenya. One Ex Marine with a handgun.

I'm sure we will hear all about it on the news, especially from Piers Morgan.

[ELB]

Good for him, whoever he really was.

(That picture of him at the link first appeared unblurred a couple days ago, and the Mail Online ID'd him as a man escorting his family out. Yesterday, the Mail ran the picture again with his face blurred and said he was an off-duty SAS (Special Air Services) member. Today he is ID'd a Royal Marine. Can you be a member of the RMs and be in the SAS simultaneously, or does your status change if you go from RM to SAS? The Mail seems to be bouncing from leak to leak. Be interesting to see how this plays out.)

[Beiruty]

Some of the responding LEO and even military personnel looked like scared till death, like as if it is their first battle shock.

[JALLEN]

Good for him, whoever he really was.

(That picture of him at the link first appeared unblurred a couple days ago, and the Mail Online ID'd him as a man escorting his family out. Yesterday, the Mail ran the picture again with his face blurred and said he was an off-duty SAS (Special Air Services) member. Today he is ID'd a Royal Marine. Can you be a member of the RMs and be in the SAS simultaneously, or does your status change if you go from RM to SAS? The Mail seems to be bouncing from leak to leak. Be interesting to see how this plays out.)

Some SAS are former Royal Marines, and I guess it is possible to be seconded back to one's original regiment as the need dictates.

Frankly I don't care which he is. I posted a link to the story, title Irony of Ironies! with the thought of what an incredible irony it is that this British warrior could not carry a weapon in Britain, but is credited with saving ~100 innocent civilians by having his pistol and knowing what to do. Savoir faire!

What an eloquent example, and argument, against gun control!

[MoJo]

Meaning no disrespect to the awesome US Marines and SPECOPS troops the Brits ROCK! SAS is the blueprint for all special operations in the West and probably the world.

[TexasVet]

I saw the unblurred image when it originally came out, noticing the Sig (?) in his waistband and thinking that it must be hard to get a permit there..

[Cjwglock19]

Hope people realize that easily could have been a mall in the U.S. Barney Fife could protect a mall better than security people they have now. I find myself trying to avoid large crowds and funnel areas more and more, especially with the family.

[ELB]

Well, the possibly SAS, possibly ex/former/retired/Royal Marine either really gets around or he had help.

Here's an article that says a "former Irish Army Ranger" helped a number of people escape, and engaged the terrorists with a handgun. And did it with three other lads.

Mystery Irish hero saved hundreds of terrified shoppers trapped in Nairobi

Some interesting bits:

The hero, who does not want his identity to be revealed, was part of a group of four who fought off some of the al Qa'ida linked attackers to rescue the terrified shoppers.

A close friend revealed last night that the ex-soldier was about to leave the mall when the attack began and he ran back inside with a former British soldier.

They were provided with guns by two Asian men and the four ran into an underground car park where they found over 200 shoppers and staff hiding behind parked trucks.

They brought the group up a ramp onto a street and then returned to the mall where they found another 100 people.

The men also helped to bring them out of the mall.

But when the two ex-soldiers tried to gain access to the third floor, where some colleagues were based, they came under fire from the roof.

They returned fire and moved into a restaurant where others were in hiding.

...

"This man then spent three hours using his paramedical training to help the injured, including people who had been shot or hit by hand grenade shrapnel, and then turned restaurant tables into temporary stretchers to shuttle them to safety.

...

He is from the Midlands and is currently working as a consultant with an international company based in Africa.

[ELB]

This article presents a claim that the terrorists rented a shop in the mall to stage their weapons and explosives prior to the attack. That's a new one, to me anyway.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -died.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[philip964]

Very little news about countries, ages, sex of victims or terrorists. Was an American wounded or killed? No conformation of the MN teenagers as terrorists. Or even a conformation of the White Widow.