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Update: Hostages Dead At Eagles Of Death Metal Paris Concert
The Associated Press cites a police officer saying around 100 people were taken hostage at Baraclan. The venue is reported to have a capacity of up to 1,500. CNN reported a few hours later the unconfirmed death toll had risen to 113.
Initial reports indicated the gunmen entered the room with automatic weapons and began randomly shooting concertgoers. After reports the gunman began shooting individual hostages, police stormed the building. Shortly after the raid concluded, Agence France Presse reported “about 100” were killed inside the building. It’s believed as many as four attackers were killed in the raid.
The Washington Post blog reported a band member’s wife saying the band managed to escape as the attack unfolded.
Eagles of Death Metal founder Josh Homme, also of Queens of the Stone Age, is reported to have not joined the band on its European tour, according to Consequence of Sound.
At least four separate attacks, assumed to be terrorism-related, took place concurrently in the French capital on Friday evening, and bombs or grenades were reported to have exploded at or near the Stade de France near Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb.
Mary Lou Dorio, the mother of EODM drummer Julian Dorio, told the Post her son is safe.
“She said she spoke to her son’s wife, who said that the band members had managed to flee the concert hall when the attack began. The fate of several crew members remains unknown,” The Post reports.
She added that her son was at a local police station, where he was able to call his wife. He had left his phone on stage.
An update on Eagles of Death Metal’s Facebook page, posted at about 3:45 p.m. PST said, “We are still currently trying to determine the safety and whereabouts of all our band and crew. Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation.”
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