Details are still emerging from last night's multiple attacks on Paris, including the one that hits especially close to home to any fan of music, the attack during the Eagles of Death Metal show in Le Bataclan which left over 100 people dead.
It was a sold out show of about 1,500. Reports from US Today say that four gunmen, dressed in all black, entered the venue with AK-47s, killed the bouncers and then began shooting very "calmly" and without discretion. The crowd scattered and they were shooting anybody who didn't fall to the floor. The NY Times an eyewitness report that one of the gunmen shouted “ ‘What you are doing in Syria, you are going to pay for it now.’ ”
US Today has released footage taken by a reporter named Daniel Psenny. The footage was shot at a backdoor and is disturbingly graphic, showing images of dead bodies, people limping and hanging from windowsills.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/JhTajkwHQWk[/youtube]
The band were immediately able to escape. Members of the Deftones were also reportedly at the venue, but left a few songs into the show and were not at the venue when the attacks started. Not everybody was so lucky. The Telegraph has a comprehensive report on all the victims in the venue, including the Eagles of Death Metal's merch manager Nick Alexander, who was sadly one of the people killed by the attackers. There is a first-hand account from Helen Wilson that is incredibly heartbreaking. She pointed out the gunmen were intentionally targeting people in the handicap section after which she witnessed Alexander shot in front of her:
"It was around 9.45 pm when the first shots were fired, competing for noise with the rock music being played by the Californian band, Eagles of Death Metal, at the Bataclan.
“We heard a couple of noises outside and people started running into the club. We didn’t know what was going on,” said Miss Wilson.
“Then maybe five, six guys came in with machine guns and shotguns and just started shooting people. It was mayhem.
“When anyone started running they would shoot them down. So we got down on the floor. I was afraid whenever I heard a step behind me… they machine-gunned everybody.
“Nick was in front of me when we were lying on the ground and somebody moved and they just turned round and started shooting us.
“His back was to me and I couldn’t see what happened and I tried to keep him talking and then I tried to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and they [the gunmen] were just sort of in the shadows and they would shoot if anyone said anything.
“Then he couldn’t breathe any more and I held him in my arms and told him I loved him. He was the love of my life."
Absolutely heartbreaking. A memorial fund has been set up for Alexander.
If you have the stomach to read further details, you can do so on The Telegraph and USA Today.
[h/t MetalSucks]
