On Friday, Nov. 13, three teams of terrorists attacked the 10th and 11th Arrondissements in Paris, leaving at least 129 dead and another 350 wounded. What many thought would be a fun Friday night out turned out to be a night of horror.
The three teams orchestrated the attacks in sync, starting with two blasts at France's national soccer stadium, the Stade de France, several shootings at restaurants and bars, and a chaotic shooting at famed music hall, the Bataclan. At the Bataclan alone, at least 89 people were methodically executed by young, unmasked gunmen and some were trampled in the frenzy to escape. Survivors have reported that the gunmen mentioned that France's involvement in Syria and airstrikes were a motivation for the slayings.
The violent night was the deadliest attack France has seen since World War II. It also follows the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices and a kosher market that left several dead in January. ISIS has taken responsibility for Friday night's attacks, and said it was the first wave of terror and more is to come. Following the attacks, French President François Hollande declared France was in a state of emergency and closed the country's borders. He also announced France would have three days of mourning. President Hollande had been present at the friendly match between France and Germany at the Stade de France when the suicide bombers detonated their explosive belts, but was evacuated safely.
At the time of writing, a massive manhunt is going on across France and surrounding countries for a French man who is believed to have been directly involved in the terror attack on Friday. Seven of the suicide bombers were French citizens, putting France and the rest of Europe on edge about domestic grown terrorism.
It is terrifying we live in a world where even the joy of a night out with friends and family can result in such bloodshed. Nowadays we can never truly feel safe anywhere. That is absurd and we should not tolerate it.
The world is becoming more and more scary. Nothing is certain anymore. At this point I'm a little afraid to have children, because who knows what this world will be like when that time comes? I can't understand why there are people in this world that think it's fine to kill so many innocent people, taking them away from their loved ones.
It's hard to come up with words because it's so upsetting. I was only in Paris for a day, but I feel in love. It breaks my heart that a city that opened my eyes to another way of life and a bigger picture of the world was once again covered in terror. It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world as well as a cultural hub. Something like this can happen again at any time, and that is horrifying to think about. I pray it doesn't and we that can do something to prevent it.
May peace be with the families and friends of the victims, and with Paris.