Tourists in the Louvre during heist say it was ‘terrifying’

Indiana couple Jacob and Holly Barker were eager to visit the Louvre on their recent trip to Paris. In an effort to avoid crowds, the Barkers had booked one of the first ticketed times of the day for Sunday, Oct. 19.

Little did they know they'd be present for the shocking, audacious robbery that unfolded that morning in broad daylight.

During a heist that lasted only seven minutes, four thieves stole nine priceless items from the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon. The thieves, who entered the museum through a window, escaped on motorbikes and remain at large.

Speaking to TODAY, Jacob and Holly Barker describe what was going through their heads that morning — and when things turned "terrifying."

After visiting the Mona Lisa, the couple meandered to the Galerie d’Apollon, the ornate, gilded