Ten Years Later, Bataclan Survivors Are Still Processing

T en years ago today, Ismaël El Iraki was deep in the pit of the Bataclan , reveling in the saturated guitars of an Eagles of Death Metal concert. Without warning, three Islamic State extremists wearing explosive belts stormed the historic music hall in Paris . Armed with assault rifles, they opened fire on concertgoers at close range, killing 90 people as part of a coordinated attack at sites around the French capital.

Recalling that horrific night in a recent interview, El Iraki says at first, he thought the gunfire was a crackling speaker or pyrotechnics. Then a wave of panic swept through the crowd of 1,200 people on the main floor. When he turned around, he saw the silhouette of an ominous figure dressed in black walking straight towards him. The image, he says, is “burned in