Eagles of Death Metal survive attack at Paris concert hall

PanARMENIAN.Net - Members of the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal managed to escape the Bataclan concert hall in Paris after gunmen opened fire on the audience on Friday, November 13, TheWrap said citing media reports.

The Palm Desert, California-based band, led by frontman Jesse Hughes, were headliners at Bataclan, a venue on the Right Bank of the Seine River that became the scene of a gruesome mass shooting and hostage situation. Terrorists entered Bataclan and opened fire on a crowd of nearly 1,200, killing at least 118.

A member of Red Lemons, Eagle of Death Metal’s opening act, said in a Twitter post: “We are safe … your mates Jesse, Tuesday, the other musicians outside, they’re safe too, they took a cab,” presumably referring to Hughes.

In addition to Hughes, Eagle of Death Metal’s touring members include guitarist Dave Catching, bassist Matt McJunkins, guitarist Eden Galindo and drummer Julio Dorio, according to the band’s Facebook page.

Michael Dorio, brother of Julio, told CNN the band was performing when they heard gunshots and “stopped playing, hit the deck, and went backstage and exited as fast as they could.”

While the band survived the attack, there are questions about the status of crew members. Roughly an hour after a series of coordinated attacks in the city started, the band’s official Facebook page uploaded a troubling status: “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,” the post read.

A U.S. booking agent and managers for the band did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.

The Bataclan attackers, three of whom were said to be strapped with explosive devices on their belts, are all believed to be dead. The men held dozens captive for hours, firing off automatic rifle rounds into the crowd before French police executed a raid.

“They were not moving,” journalist and concert-goer Julien Pierce told CNN of the attackers. “They were standing in the back of the concert room and shooting at us, as if we were birds.”