On November 13, 2015, France experienced the worst terror attack in its history. Beginning at 9:15 p.m., three Islamic extremist suicide bombers detonated bomb vests near the a stadium outside of Paris, after failing to gain entry to the stadium. Another group of attackers then fired on crowded cafés and restaurants in Paris. A third group carried out another mass shooting and took hostages at a concert in the Bataclan Theatre, leading to a stand-off with police.
The perps who conducted the shootings were able to escape the scenes of their crimes in a waiting vehicle. As police responded to these incidents a greater tragedy was unfolding in the Bataclan Theatre. In the famous theatre, an American heavy metal band was performing to an audience of about 1500 people. Three Muslim French citizens entered the venue and immediately opened fire. Chaos and tragedy ensued. Hundreds fell to the gunfire. French Police were on the scene in minutes. Two members of a French anti-crime unit arrived first and entered the building. They immediately engaged one of the perps, shooting him and causing him to detonate his suicide vest. A hail of gunfire from the other two perps drove the officers from the building. The two remaining perps took hostages to a back room and barricaded themselves.
Moments later officers from a French tactical RAID (Research, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence) team arrived on scene. They entered the building and split up. One group began evacuating survivors while the other approached the perps. After initially attempting to negotiate with the hostage takers, it was determined that decisive action must be taken. Armed with ballistic shields and long guns, the officers made entry into the room. They quickly dispatched the two gunman. The hostages were all unharmed in the daring raid.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. The perps killed 130 people, including 90 at the Bataclan theatre. Another 416 people were injured, approximately 100 critically. All perps involved were arrested or killed as the French government declared a three month state of emergency and raids occurred around the country. A swift and strong response by the French Police undoubtedly saved countless lives.
Photo By jxandreani, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44992718
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