Earlier tonight, a series of shootings unfolded at several Paris venues. As BBC reports, the deadliest of the multiple simultaneous attacks seem to have targeted the Bataclan concert hall during the Eagles of Death Metal's sold-out performance Friday evening. The news is still breaking, but it is being reported that various media outlets have stated that there have already been multiple fatalities and anywhere between 60 to 100 hostages were held at the venue.
France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders after at least 35 people were killed in at least six different simultaneous gun and bomb attacks in Paris. In addition to the attack on the Bataclan, other attacks hit Le Petit Cambodge restaurant in Paris' 11th district. Another hit the nearby Le Carillon bar. It might be worth noting that a number of today's attacks are in the same neighborhood as the offices of Charlie Hebdo, which endured tragic attacks back in January.
Eagles of Death Metal is the collaboration between Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. As Consequence of Sound points out, Homme did not join the band for their European tour.
Brooklyn Vegan reports that the French group, Red Lemons, posted to Facebook that the members of Eagles of Death Metal were safe and not hostages.
Pour rassurer les personnes qui nous savaient au concert des Eagles of death metal au bataclan, il y a eu un attentat,...
Posted by Red Lemons on Friday, November 13, 2015
Google translates that first sentence as "to reassure people who knew us in concert Eagles of Death Metal to [Bataclan], there was an attack, we're fine." ABC7 Eyewitness News confirms that the band managed to flee out the back door.
Singer of Eagles of Death Metal escaped out back door in Paris theater, relative told @KESQ https://t.co/rXOGvpf65S pic.twitter.com/W2Doc1HOJv
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 13, 2015
Reuters reports that President Barack Obama called the terrorist attacks an "outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians" in a statement delivered Friday evening. He added that "Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. ... This is a heartbreaking situation."
