- Just over a month ago, our next guest helped stop
a terrorist attack on a train in France. Take a look.
- Three childhood friends are being hailed as heroes tonight.
- Two American servicemen and their friend on vacation
in France praised for stopping what could have been
a mass killing.
- While on a train from Amsterdam to Paris,
a man appeared armed with an AK-47.
- I just looked over at Spencer and said, "Let's go."
- Authorities say those three Americans
and a British man took down the suspect
after he shot another passenger.
Almost certainly, they prevented a massacre.
- What was going through your mind
when you first saw the guy on the train?
- I mean, I immediately recognized what was happening,
and I just thought, "There's just no way.
There's no way this is happening right now."
- Remarkably, only two men were injured.
Skarlatos, along with his friends,
becoming international icons,
recieving France's highest medal
from the French president, telling the trio they,
"Gave the world a lesson in courage, will, and hope."
- Because of their courage,
because if their quick thinking,
it's fair to say a lot of people were safe.
- He is the true definition of a hero,
and now you can catch him each week
as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars".
Please welcome Alex Skarlatos and his partner, Lindsay.
This story is--is crazy, and it's really crazy
because you weren't even supposed to be on that train,
right? - No, no.
- You have to tell people the story of how you ended up
even in that car.
- Well, we were-- we were vacationing,
so we met up in Amsterdam, spent about three days there,
and we were having so much fun in Amsterdam, of course.
We wanted to stay an extra day,
but we ended up deciding to keep with the schedule
and take the train to Paris.
And we originally got on the train,
in kind of the middle of the train,
but the wifi wasn't that great there,
so we decided to move up to first class
where our tickets actually were for.
And, of course, that's car 12, where the shooting happened.
- So how--you heard him loading a gun in the bath--
how--how did you know?
- Well, actually, we didn't know until he started shooting.
That was actually--
that wasn't exactly what happened.
Basically, there was a Frenchman,
who doesn't want to be named, who was waiting
to go to the bathroom when he came out.
They kind of got into a struggle,
and then a train employee broke them up
thinking it was just a regular fight.
That's when he came into our car, shot Mark in the neck,
and then me, Spencer, and Anthony reacted.
- Wow. So y'all decided, "We're tackling this guy."
- Yeah, I mean, when he ca-- I mean, we heard the gunshot.
Train employee ran past us, so we woke up.
I mean, I was still awake, but Spencer and Anthony woke up.
We ducked behind the seats immediately,
and looked back behind us, which is where he was.
And just immediately thought, like,
"There's no way this is happening.
This is absolutely insane."
And then I tapped Spencer on the shoulder,
and just said, "Let's go," and he went,
and I honestly didn't expect him to.
I thought I was, like, "Hey, let's go," like--
- Like-- - "Let's get him in a second
when he gets a little closer,"
but he just--I just tapped him. I said, "Let's go,"
and he was gone. I'm, like, "Oh, shoot.
I guess we're going." - Yeah.
"I was just kidding. You go."
- Yeah, yeah. - Wow. That's amazing.
So you go from doing something
that a lot of people would be scared.
Everybody would just be hiding behind the seats,
but you go get this guy. You meet the French president.
You're honored by our president,
and, of course, the next step is "Dancing With the Stars".
- Of course. - Of course. Absolutely.
- Right? - What else do you do?
- I understand you'd never even seen the show before.
- No, I really hadn't. No.
- How is that to teach someone who--and, had you danced?
- No, never, I mean. - Okay, well it--
- Yeah.
- Sounded like a great idea then.
[laughter]
- How is to teach someone who's never even seen the show?
- Well, it was a little bit interesting at first,
but at the same time, it gave me a really good opportunity
to kind of mess with him a little bit.
- Mm-hmm. - And he'll tell you that
I totally tricked him in, like, multiple times
about crazy costumes, like red spandex
and fully decked out rhinestone outfits,
and he believed me, and he was, like,
"Okay. Okay."
[laughter]
- Normally, when we have people
from "Dancing With the Stars" on,
we would ask you to dance in the next segment,
but because today, we're shooting this on Thursday.
This airs Monday.
Today there was a shooting in Oregon,
and it was actually a shooting at the college that you go to.
- Yes. - So it's not a great day
for you to dance, but when we come back,
we're gonna talk about that because
if you weren't on the show right now,
you would be there.
Right now, this is what we know.
The shooter was 20 years old,
and he's deceased.
There are 13 confirmed dead, more than 20 injured.
The shooter had conversations with others online
about intentions, and he started in Snyder Hall
and moved to the science building,
which I understand you had classes in.
- Right. I had classes in Snyder Hall.
I mean, it's-- it's a fairly small community college,
and the town in general, everybody knows each other,
so if that many deceased, I mean,
everybody's gonna know at least one person.
- Yeah. - And, I mean, I would have--
I would have been there today if I didn't agree to do this show.
- Yeah. - I had classes picked out
and everything. - Wow.
That's--that really is devastating,
and I-I don't--I mean, when were you last there?
How long ago?
- I was there right before I deployed
to Afghanistan... - Mm-hmm.
- In the spring of 2014.
- Wow. Well, you're a remarkable man,
and you have--first of all, thank you for everything
you've done for us.
[cheers and applause]
And stick around on "Dancing With the Stars"
so you can come back and dance
because I'm gonna--and in some kind of red-sequined thing
I would prefer. - Oh, for sure.
Definitely. Spandex, sequins, all the above.
- That's what I'm hoping.
To all of our friends and viewers in Oregon,
especially those affected by this tragedy,
I send you my love. Please be kind to one another.
Bye.