PARIS — Over 100 are dead and hundreds more injured after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks were executed Friday night in Paris, France. Upon hearing the news, Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL1) published a tweet summing up the feelings of many Americans watching helplessly from the other side of the world.
Humanity can not stand for these vile acts of terror. #PrayForParis
— Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) November 13, 2015
According to reports on the ground, multiple men dressed in black opened fire with AK-47s inside the Bataclan theater during a concert. Dozens were killed as they tried to escape and the gunmen took dozens more hostage. After hostages began texting urgent pleas for help as the terrorists began systematic executions, police stormed the building and rescued many of them. The gunmen were killed in the raid.
Two explosions were also reported near the Stade de France soccer stadium where France and Germany were playing in front of a sold-out crowd that included François Hollande. At least one of the explosions appears to have been a suicide bombing.
Sound of Paris bombing can be heard in the background. Wow. https://t.co/4rpeVFIz6p
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) November 13, 2015
A total of three separate shootings have been reported. A local journalist tweeted a Google map with the reported locations of the shootings:
Les trois lieux des fusillades pic.twitter.com/4iHXrTLYqZ
— Pascal Riché (@pascalriche) November 13, 2015
President Hollande has declared a nationwide state of emergency and closed the country’s borders. Checkpoints manned by French soldiers are also being set up around Paris and a curfew has been put in place for the first time since World War II.
Witnesses say the terrorists screamed “This is for Syria” and “allahu akbar.”
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