Jesse Hughes, the frontman of Eagles of Death Metal, has said that he believes that security guards in the Bataclan Theatre in Paris were involved with the ISIS terrorists who killed 90 people in the crowd at the concert on November 13th last year. The management at the venue are calling Hughes’ statement “senseless” and a result of the trauma he must be experiencing.
Speaking to Fox Business earlier this week, the singer said that he immediately felt ill at ease in the Bataclan when setting up for the gig, saying that the security guard charged with minding the backstage area had failed to make eye contact with him.
“I didn’t like him at all,” Hughes said. “And so I immediately when to the promoter and said, ‘Who’s this guy? I want to put another dude on.’
“He goes, ‘Well, some of the other guards aren’t here yet.’ And eventually I found out that six or so wouldn’t show up at all,” Hughes said.
“Out of respect for the police still investigating, I won’t make a definite statement, but I’ll say it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up,” the singer added.
Eagles of Death Metal were playing on stage when a number of terrorists started shooting indiscriminately at the crowd and throwing grenades. The Bataclan was the deadliest in the series of co-ordinated attacks on Paris orchestrated by ISIS, which left 130 people dead. Another 350 were injured, with many in serious conditions.
Hughes also said he witnessed the assailants letting three concert-goers leave the scene, which he claims further supports his theories that the attackers had links to the theatre.
In a statement, the Bataclan’s management refuted Hughes’ claims, linking them to the trauma of going through the attack.
“All witness accounts from the day show the professionalism and courage of the security personnel,” the statement reads, adding “Their intervention likely saved hundreds of people.
“A judicial process in under way. We would like justice to complete its work calmly.”
Hughes has made headlines a number of times since the attack last year, most notably when he claimed that if France had gun laws like his native United States, more people would have survived the attacks as they would have had the means to protect themselves.
