Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, who helped save passengers on a French train in August, was released from a hospital in California on Thursday after being treated for stab wounds last week.
On Oct. 8, Stone was with a group of friends in Sacramento when they got into a confrontation. The exact circumstances of the altercation are unclear, but Stone was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.
"It's great to leave the hospital," Stone said in a statement on Thursday. "Thanks very much to the first responders and the team here at UC Davis Medical Center for taking good care of me. Thanks also to my amazing family and friends for their love and support. And, thanks to everyone who's sent encouragement during this challenging time. I'm focused on my healing and recovery and look forward to the next part of my journey."
Sacramento police have not made any arrests in connection with the stabbing. Police released video showing two suspects described as Asian men wearing white t-shirts and blue jeans leaving the scene in a dark-colored Toyota Camry.
On Aug. 21, Stone and his friends Army Spc. Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Saddler helped to disarm and hogtie a gunman aboard a train headed from Amsterdam to Paris. The gunman stabbed Stone close to his carotid artery and nearly severed Stone's thumb.
Stone received the Purple Heart and Airman's Medal and was honored by the French and Belgian governments. He will become a senior airman on Oct. 31 and then is being promoted to Staff Sergeant on Nov. 1 in recognition of his humility following the media sensation he has lived through.
"He has stayed very true to himself from the very beginning," Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told reporters on Sept. 15. "He has not let the moment overwhelm him. He has represented the Air Force very well and very proudly and, basically, he has an instinct for saying and doing the right thing, which I think is going to be a very, very good attribute in a young NCO supervisor."
