American Mormon missionary injured in Brussels had 2 other brushes with terrorism

An American Mormon missionary injured during the Brussels terrorist attacks was also witness to the Boston Marathon bombing and the Paris attacks last November, his family said.

Mason Wells, 19, of Sandy, Utah, was with three other Mormon missionaries from the United States at the airport when the bombs went off "extremely close" to the group, ABC News reports. His father, Chad Wells, said his son sustained shrapnel injuries, second- and third-degree burns on his hands and face, and a ruptured Achilles tendon. "This is his third terrorist attack," he said. "This is the third time that sadly in our society we have a connection to a bomb blast. We live in a dangerous world and not everyone is kind and loving."

Wells said he was with his son a block from the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, waiting for his wife to finish the race, when the bombing took place. Mason Wells was also in France during the attacks in Paris. His family said he is always aware of his surroundings while traveling, and they hope this doesn't impede his goal of joining the U.S. Naval Academy. How he will recover is "a true test of character," Chad Wells told ABC News. "He was blessed significantly by God. We see a blessing by this, not a terrible curse."

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