Spencer Stone, one of the three young men who thwarted a terrorist attack from occurring on a Paris bound train in August, was stabbed early this morning in Sacramento outside a bar.
According to KCRA, the Sacramento NBC affiliate:
A fight in the street allegedly led to Stone being stabbed multiple times in the torso, prompting investigators to block off two blocks in the area, Sacramento police said.
Homicide detectives were called out because officers did not think Stone would survive, but he was taken to the hospital and is expected to live, according to police.
Officials with the U.S. Air Force indicated that Stone is in stable condition, adding, “We do not have any information as to the events preceding the incident.”
Of course, it is not unusual for a fight to break out near a bar. Yet when I read that Stone had been stabbed I could not help but think that an aspiring jihadist might be seeking revenge against Stone for thwarting the train attack. Given the setting it is probably unlikely. Yet pending further information, the possibility has to be considered.
UPDATE: An official with the Sacramento Police Department has stated, “This is not a terrorism-related incident, nor is it related to what happened in France a few months ago.” It appears to have been related to an incident that occurred at a nightclub a short time earlier. The suspects, who have been described “as two or three Asian males” are still at large.
Whatever the motivations for the attack against Stone, I wish him a speedy recovery.