As Paris reels from the terror attacks that took place Friday, authorities are painting a picture of a coordinated slaughter that took place at six spots in the city.
The death toll from the attacks now stands near 130, but police say that number is likely to climb. Eight attackers are dead, seven of them killed when suicide belts they were wearing detonated. Paris police say they believe at least on terrorist is still at large.
The coordinated attacks began at around 8:30 p.m. Paris time. Here’s what happened at the spots around the city:
8:30 p.m. – Explosions are heard outside State de France – the sports stadium where France is taking on Germany and where the country’s president, Francois Hollande, is watching the match. Four people are killed and an unknown number wounded as the bombs – believed to be contained in suicide belts – explode. Two of the four killed are believed to have been terrorists who blew themselves up. The match inside the stadium continued.
9:30 p.m. – About an hour after reports of explosions at the stadium comes the first reports of shots being fired in a trendy Paris neighborhood. The gunfire is happening at a Cambodian restaurant about five miles from the stadium – the Le Petit Cambodge. Next to Le Petit Cambodge, Le Carillon, a bar/café, is also being hit. Witnesses say it sounds like firecrackers going off. At least 14 are killed as terrorists fire into the crowded restaurant.
Minutes later, a man gets out of a car in front of the La Belle Equippe and shoots at diners in the restaurant, killing as many as a 18 people.
10 p.m. – More reports of shootings are coming in from around the city. Just south of La Petit Cambodge, the Bataclan, a popular concert venue, is under siege. There, survivors say, gunman began shooting outside the concert hall, then entered the building and opened fire on the crowd watching the American band Eagles of Death Metal. Those who survive the initial attack are taken hostage. Reports are that the terrorists are lobbing explosives at the hostages. As police storm the building at around 11:30 p.m., three attackers – whom witnesses say were speaking French -- detonated explosive belts, killing themselves. More than 85 people die at the site.
Police field reports of shootings throughout the area. In two other spots in the city, people were randomly targeted on the street by drive-by shooters. Several are shot to death.
On Saturday, the country’s borders are closed and people are being told to stay home. The hunt continues for the one terrorists believed to have escaped.
