How a false alarm created chaos in the streets of Paris

PARIS – It was one of the scariest experiences I’ve ever had.

On Sunday night, I was at the Place de la Republique, which has become a gathering place for Parisians mourning the deaths of the 129 people killed in last week’s terrorist attack, the worst attack on French soil since World War II. The fallout from the attack has already resulted in France striking ISIL targets in Syria and leading an intensifying manhunt for the so-called mastermind of the attacks. But on this night, everyone just wanted to remember those lost days earlier.

Then, as I was wrapping up filming a few scenes of various vigils on my iPhone, loud noises rang out throughout the square. Chaos had begun again in Paris.

I heard the screaming, and suddenly, I saw hundreds of people running in every direction in mass panic. 

I already had my iPhone out, so I hit record as I ran through the streets of Paris. People were doing everything they could to hide; running down into the subway, running into restaurants. At one point, several locals were opening doors and shouting at people to come inside. I followed one group through a gate down a small alley until I realized it led to a dead end. 

The sounds that set off the crowd were later determined to be firecrackers. At the time, however, every single person, myself included, were convinced that another terrorist attack was underway, another shooter on the loose. 

It took about 10 minutes for the crowd to calm down and trickle back into the Place de la République to continue mourning.

The reaction was just one small symptom of the fear that lives within the French people following Friday’s horrific terrorist attack. 

And it’s one I’ll never forget.