Panic in Paris was only fireworks, French officials say

Associated PressPublished: November 15, 2015

People gather for a national service for the victims of the terror attack at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. Thousands of French troops deployed around Paris on Sunday and tourist sites stood shuttered in one of the most visited cities on Earth while investigators questioned the relatives of a suspected suicide bomber involved in the country's deadliest violence since World War II. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Two French law enforcement officials say 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.

People gather for a national service for the victims of the terror attack at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

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 called it a moment of collective panic. 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 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.

Filed Under: Paris

Categories: New Jersey News