[UPDATED] Paris Shootings and Explosions Leave At Least 100 Dead

The most casualties occurred at the Bataclan Concert Hall, where the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal was playing a show.

21 March, 2018
[UPDATED] Paris Shootings and Explosions Leave At Least 100 Dead

A horrific outbreak of violence tore through Paris on Friday night, leaving more than 100 dead from shooting rampages and explosions. Violence has affected at least six locations in the city. American officials believe the events were coordinated. The attacks are the deadliest to strike Paris since World War II, and French President Francois Hollande has issued a nationwide state of emergency and closed the country's borders. 

The most casualties occurred at the Bataclan Concert Hall, where the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal was playing a show. At least 100 people were killed as attackers took hostages inside the venue. Gunshots and explosions had echoed through the area, witnesses said. Around 7 p.m. ET, security officials launched an assault on the venue, ending with at least two attackers killed, officials said. Eagles of Death Metal tweeted that it is still trying to determine the whereabouts and safety of its band members and crew.

Eyewitness accounts from inside the venue illustrated the killings in horrifying detail. "They didn't shout anything, they didn't say anything," Julien Pearce, a radio journalist, told CNN. "They were masked, they were wearing black clothes and they were shooting at people on the floor, executing them. I was luckily at the top of the stage, on the front of the stage."​

Pearce described one of the attackers as "very young," probably 20 or 25 years old. According to the Paris police prefect, the attackers blew themselves up with suicide belts as security forces closed in. 

In the aftermath of the shooting spree, French President Francois Hollande appeared at the Bataclan, offering impassioned words to the French people. "To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless," he said

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Bloodshed appeared to sweep across portions of the city alive with Friday night activity. A shooting inside a Cambodian restaurant killed at least 11 people. A video posted to Instagram appears to show the bloody aftermath of one shooting. Warning: the content is graphic.

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Another shooting was reported at a shopping mall in Paris.

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Explosions were also heard outside a stadium north of the city where France and Germany were playing a soccer match. At least one of those explosions happened in a bar near the stadium. Police have confirmed two suicide attacks and bombings. A Vine appears to show when one explosion occurred.

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No one had immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, and French officials said they believed all the attackers are dead, although they're still looking for accomplices.  ​

Parisians responded to the attack by offering their homes as safe havens. On Twitter, people used the hashtag #porteouverte, meaning "open door," to offer their homes for those seeking shelter from the attacks. Facebook allowed people to indicate whether their friends in the area are in fact safe. Cab drivers in Paris have reportedly turned off their meters and are driving people home for free. 

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Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Paris is making efforts to ensure the safety of American citizens in the city. 

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French President Francois Hollande, who was reportedly watching the soccer match inside the stadium and was moved to safety, addressed the nation around 6 p.m. ET, declaring a state of emergency and announcing his intention to close the nation's borders. President Obama also spoke on Friday evening, saying the U.S. stands with France, which he called America's oldest ally. "It's an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share," he said. British Prime Minister David Cameron also pledged his nation's support.

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U.S. Homeland Security Department officials monitoring the attacks in Paris say there is no known, credible threat against the United States. Still, authorities in New York and D.C. said they will take precautionary measures as a result of the attacks, CNN reports.

On Friday night, the lights atop One World Trade were illuminated with the colors of the French flag. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo​ said the act shows New York will stand with the people of France.

[twitter ]https://twitter.com/jonswaine/status/665335444758994944" >

Diana Bruk and The Associated Press contributed to this report

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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