Terrorists Kill Dozens at Eagles of Death Metal Show in Paris
Tim Karan
Tim Karan Published: November 13, 2015
Kenzo Tribouillard, AFP/Getty Images
UPDATE 11/14: Officials believe 89 people have died as a result of the attack at Le Bataclan in Paris on Friday night, according to the Guardian.
Terrorists killed dozens at the Paris concert venue Le Bataclan where Eagles of Death Metal were performing a sold-out concert Friday night, according to Agence France-Presse. It was part of what investigators believe to be a series of coordinated terrorist attacks at five to seven locations throughout the French capital.
At least two terrorists with AK-47s fired at the crowd from the back of the club, then "calmly executed" victims one by one, according to CNN. Europe 1 radio DJ Julien Pierce was inside the club when the shooting started. "Two or three men, without masks, came in with kalashnikov-type automatic weapons and began shooting blindly at the crowd," he said via The Guardian. "It lasted 10, 15 minutes. It was extremely violent and there was a wave of panic... I saw a lot of people hit by bullets. The gunmen had loads of time to reload at least three times. They weren't masked; they knew what they were doing; they were very young."
Police stormed the venue and were reportedly able to free about 100 hostages and kill at four of the attackers. Three of the terrorists killed were wearing explosive belts.
Eagles of Death Metal is the project of singer Jesse Hughes (pictured below left) and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme (below right). Homme did not join Eagles of Death Metal on their European tour.
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Michael Dorio, brother of Eagles Of Death Metal touring drummer Julian Dorio, told ABC7 News he's spoken to his brother. "He said they were playing, about six songs into the show, and they heard, before they saw anything, they heard automatic machine gunfire. And it was so loud, it was louder than the band, and they all hit the stage floor. And as they got up to try to evacuate they saw men with machine guns just shooting anything and everything in the venue."
David Ian Hughes, the brother of Jesse Hughes, also confirmed that the band made it out of the venue safely in a post to his Facebook:
Jesse Hughes is ok. I spoke to him about an hour ago. The band is ok too. I hold out hope that as many people as possible make it out ok, as well. As the situation is still developing, I can not say much else.
At least one member of the band's crew, however, was reportedly killed. Nick Alexander, a British citizen who was selling merch for the band, was shot by the terrorists. His family posted the following statement:
It is with huge sorrow that we can confirm that our beloved Nick lost his life at the Bataclan last night. Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle, he was everyone's best friend – generous, funny and fiercely loyal. Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing how much he was cherished by his friends around the world. Thank you for your thoughts and respect for our family at this difficult time. Peace and light.
Deftones were scheduled to play a three-night residency at Le Bataclan beginning Saturday, and several members of the band were at the venue just minutes before the attack but left before the shooters entered. Frontman Chino Moreno (who was not in attendance) told a California-based CBS affiliate: "A couple of band members, they went to the concert, but they left early," Moreno said. "After the first few songs they ended up leaving the venue. They got out of there and all of our band and crew are safe and accounted for at the hotel now."
Next: Eagles of Death Metal Cancel European Tour Following Paris Attacks
Filed Under: Eagles of Death Metal, Josh Homme, Queens of the Stone Age