"Collective panic" in Paris after apparent firecrackers
Apparent firecrackers have set off panic at several sites of Friday night's coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris.
Two French law enforcement officials said a collective panic in several Paris neighborhoods, including Plaza de Republique, was a false alarm. One of the officials said the crowd in the plaza apparently panicked after hearing firecrackers.
We hid in the kitchen store room. False alarm but terrifying still at place de la republique pic.twitter.com/hQBsFXESHs
— Imogen Barrer (@imogenbarrer) November 15, 2015
A French security official said someone had reached out to police in the plaza out of panic, and when officers arrived with weapons drawn, the crowd dispersed in fear.
The official had no information of any threats to the area. Both officials weren't authorized to be publicly named according to government policy. Close by, panic also broke out near a small Cambodian restaurant and a bar that were the scenes of shooting on Friday night and police were seen running with guns drawn.
Police had cleared briefly Paris' iconic Republique Plaza, where hundreds of mourners had gathered on Sunday.
In France's 10th arrondissement, near a small Cambodian restaurant and a bar that were the scenes of shooting on Friday night, people began running and screaming during one of the apparent firecracker incidents, and police broke through with guns drawn. The two are about a 10-minute walk apart, in the same general area of Paris.
CBS News' Elaine Cobbe reports mourners were also cleared at the iconic Notre Dame cathedral. Cobb reports officials are so far calling it a false alarm, as it appears some setting off firecrackers caused the panic.