NJ college student recounts hearing bomb, gunfire during Paris Attacks

It's hard enough to be a parent separated from your child during a crisis situation, but imagine being that kid, and finding yourself in the midst of the Paris terror attacks.

Such was the case for a Jersey college student named TJ, the son of Tom Gibbons, both whom I spoke with on air today.

TJ, who is studying abroad, was staying in a youth hostel with some friends this week, about a mile from the Bataclan concert hall.

According to TJ, he was stopping by the hostel with some friends before heading to the Eiffel Tower, when they heard a loud bang, followed by the sight of ambulances. Once back inside his room, TJ checked Facebook and learned from a friend in Rome that a bomb had gone off in his area.

While the group tried to stay calm, they also repeatedly attempted to contact the U.S. Embassy in Paris via phone and email. When they couldn't reach an American authorities, they tried contacting both the Canadian and British embassies, also to no avail.

Ultimately, it was a Jersey neighbor's cousin who was able to connect TJ and his friends with a car to leave Paris for Versailles the next day, and they made it out safely.

Let me know what you think of TJ's story in the comments section below, or tweet @nj1015 and @BillSpadea.