French 'Backpack Hero' Praised for Intervening in Knife Attack

A 24-year-old man, known as "the hero with a backpack," intervened in a knife attack in Annecy, France, using his backpack to fend off the attacker's blade and pursuing him to prevent further harm to children. The attack critically wounded four children and injured two adults. The attacker, a 31-year-old Syrian political refugee, remains in custody, and his motives are unknown. The hero, a Catholic pilgrim touring France's cathedrals, shied away from the "hero" label, saying he acted as any French person would.