'They must not hear you,' Muslim supermarket hero told Jewish shoppers
The 24-year-old Muslim hero told frightened shoppers to hide in the cold store fridge in the basement as he got help
The 24-year-old Muslim hero who hails from Mali, was awarded with French nationality on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP
“Paris kosher supermarket hero” Lassana Bathily narrated how he told Jewish shoppers at the kosher supermarket to stay quiet as gunmen stormed the store and took hostages last week, the BBC reported on Friday.
The 24-year-old Muslim hero, who hails from Mali, was awarded French nationality on Thursday, said he was in the basement when the gunshots rang out.
"The customers started running down the steps. They were screaming [that] there were terrorists in the shop,” Bathily said.
He said that the cold storage room was open, and he told the shoppers to remain quiet and be calm as they hid.
"I told them to come in with me. Then I switched off the fridge and the lights,” he narrated.
“If the terrorist comes down here he must not hear you,” the supermarket hero told frightened customers.
Bathily said he left to alert the police after everyone was quiet.
"I took the service lift out of the basement. I rushed out and saw the police everywhere," he said.
"They told me to put my hands up, but then they asked me for my help.
"I told them a lot of hostages were hidden in the basement. They asked me to draw a map of the shop to help with their assault."
Bathily said he had good relations with his Jewish colleagues in the supermarket, adding that he was sometimes teased about when he would get a Jewish girlfriend.
Four Jewish hostages were killed in the supermarket siege by the gunman before he was shot dead by the police.
The 24-year-old Muslim hero, who hails from Mali, was awarded French nationality on Thursday, said he was in the basement when the gunshots rang out.
"The customers started running down the steps. They were screaming [that] there were terrorists in the shop,” Bathily said.
He said that the cold storage room was open, and he told the shoppers to remain quiet and be calm as they hid.
"I told them to come in with me. Then I switched off the fridge and the lights,” he narrated.
“If the terrorist comes down here he must not hear you,” the supermarket hero told frightened customers.
Bathily said he left to alert the police after everyone was quiet.
"I took the service lift out of the basement. I rushed out and saw the police everywhere," he said.
"They told me to put my hands up, but then they asked me for my help.
"I told them a lot of hostages were hidden in the basement. They asked me to draw a map of the shop to help with their assault."
Bathily said he had good relations with his Jewish colleagues in the supermarket, adding that he was sometimes teased about when he would get a Jewish girlfriend.
Four Jewish hostages were killed in the supermarket siege by the gunman before he was shot dead by the police.