PARIS, Nov. 13 (UPI) — An elaborate and coordinated terrorist attack struck in the heart of France on Friday evening — with more than 100 people shot one by one at a concert hall, with gunfire and explosions killing and wounding dozens more elsewhere, officials and witnesses said.
Paris Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman said perhaps a total of 118 people were killed in the attack, which began around 9:30 p.m. local time and involved at least three shootings and multiple explosions near the nation’s national stadium, Stade de France, just north of Paris in Saint-Denis.
Attackers also took about 100 people hostage at the city’s Bataclan concert hall, police said. Some of the hostages were freed early Saturday morning but some news reports said dozens also died inside the venue. France’s interior ministry reportedly said 112 died in the music hall, according to CNN.
French President Francois Hollande called the attacks “unprecedented” — an assessment Klugman echoed in his remarks.
“We are facing an unknown and historic situation in Paris,” he said.
“It was a bloodbath,” radio reporter Julien Pearce, who was inside the Bataclan, said.
Officials later confirmed that three gunmen had taken over the concert hall, and that at least one had been killed. Some reports also indicated that police officials believe at least one of the explosions was a suicide bombing.
Germany and France were playing a soccer match at the soccer stadium at the time of the blasts, where Hollande was also in attendance. He was unharmed and left the stadium to assist in the emergency response.
Audio of one explosion can be heard on the broadcast of the game, which was posted to Vine.
Hollande later declared a state of emergency and announced that France’s international borders would be closed until further notice.
“As I speak, terrorist attacks of an unprecedented scale are taking place in the Paris region,” he said in a nationally televised address late Friday. “There are several dozen dead, lots more wounded, it’s horrific.”
A lockdown and curfew were also issued for France’s capital city as police searched for the attackers and tended to victims.
One of the shootings reportedly occurred at the Cambroge restaurant. Photographs from France 2 TV employee Vincent Berthézène showed bullet damage to a window and emergency personnel surrounding the scene.
The status of the gunman or gunmen was not initially clear. Some witnesses said they saw two men emerge from a parked car and open fire before getting back in the car and leaving moments later.
USA Today reported more than 40 dead so far but news reports indicate that toll will almost certainly rise. Some witnesses said gunmen were firing automatic weapons, possibly AK-47 assault rifles, BBC News reported.
“There are a lot of dead people. It’s pretty horrific to be honest … The pile of bodies in front was too much for my wife to walk over,” witness Ben Grant told BBC News.
U.S. President Barack Obama immediately responded to the attacks, saying they amount to a devastating blow to all people.
“Once again we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. This is an attack not just on Paris. It’s an attack not just on the people of France. But this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share,” he said, pledging support to a nation he called the United States’ oldest ally.
Obama had called Hollande earlier Friday to discuss the forthcoming climate change conference in Paris.
“I am shocked by events in Paris tonight,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help.”
Unconfirmed reports of additional gunfire at Paris’ largest shopping mall, Les Halles, was reported by France’s The Journal.
No one had claimed responsibility for the attacks late Friday.
This is a developing story
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.