Police: Numerous dead in Paris attacks; hostages taken

PARIS — On a night of terrifying violence in Paris with two explosions going off outside the stadium, France beat Germany 2-0 Friday in a game overshadowed by the events around the city.

The explosions could be heard inside the Stade de France as they went off nearby in the first half. Police said dozens have been killed in shootings and explosions around Paris, but the match was not halted.

Fans remained inside the stadium after the final whistle, then went on the field as news of the violence spread and the sound of wailing sirens could be heard outside.

Olivier Giroud and substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac scored a goal each in the friendly match.

After the final whistle, hundreds of fans streamed onto the field as the stadium announcer told them which exits to use. But more and more walked onto the grass, reluctant to go outside as news poured in of a shocking night of violence.

More than 30 minutes after the game, there were about 2,000 fans on the field as the stadium announcer reassured them that it was safe to leave and use public transport as usual, and directed them to which exit gates they could use. The atmosphere was calm but they were slow to filter out.

In the morning, the German team was evacuated from its team hotel in western Paris following a bomb scare, spending a few hours down the road at Roland Garros, the home of the French Open.

In what might have been a chilling coincidence, two loud explosions were heard outside Stade de France just minutes apart midway through the first half, followed by the sounds of wailing police sirens.

The atmosphere during the match was increasingly muted and a sickening feeling seemed to have already gripped the fans.

THE TIMELINE RIGHT NOW

10:50 p.m.

British Prime Minister David Cameron says he is "shocked" by the Paris attacks and violence.

Cameron said on Twitter "Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help."

French police say at least 35 were killed in multiple acts of violence took place in Paris Friday night, including shootings at restaurants and a hostage-taking at a music theater.

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10:40 p.m.

A White House official says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the attacks in Paris.

The official says counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco briefed the president. The official was not authorized to talk about the private discussion and demanded anonymity.

Obama is slated to travel to Paris at the end of the month to attend a United Nations conference on climate change.

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10:35 p.m.

Hundreds of people spilled onto the field of the Stade de France stadium after explosions were heard nearby during a friendly match between the French and German national soccer teams.

A stadium announcer made an announcement over the loudspeaker after the match, telling fans to avoid certain exits "due to events outside," without elaborating.

At first that prompted some panic, but then the crowds just walked dazed, hugging each other and looking at their phones for the latest news of the violence.

Many appeared hesitant to leave amid the uncertainty after France's deadliest attacks in decades.

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10:22 p.m.

Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff says it is too early to know exactly what was happening in Paris.

Social media posts from purported ISIS supporters could indicate that "there was a group waiting for this, but it could be a group watching," Chertoff said in an interview with MSNBC Friday night.

"I don't think we can say this proves anything, but again it supports the idea that it's terrorism," Chertoff said.

John Cohen, a former Homeland Security Department counterterrorism coordinator, say the presence of multiple attack scenes at the same time suggested a coordinated effort to "send a message" and raises immediate terror concerns, including for other cities in Europe and potentially the United States as well. He said both Al Qaida and ISIS have relied on the strategy of coordinated attacks in the past.

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10:14 p.m.

A Paris police official said there were at least 100 hostages in a Paris theater following shooting and explosions at two cites in the city.

Multiple officials, including one medical official, put the number of dead at between 35 to 40 people.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named according to police policy.

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10:10 p.m.

U.S. Homeland Security Department officials monitoring the attacks in Paris say there is no known, credible threat against the United States.

DHS officials are in contact with their foreign counterparts amid reports of multiple shootings and explosions inParis.

Police officials in France say at least 26 people have been killed and a hostage-taking situation is underway at a theater.

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10:00 p.m.

Two police officials say that at least 26 people have been killed in shootings and explosions around Paris, in the deadliest violence in France in decades.

One of the police officials said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement and about 15 killed in the Bataclan theater, where a hostage-taking is under way.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named according to police policy.