OPINION FOR QUARTZ

Quartz asked me to contribute my account of the November 13th attacks in Paris.

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When extremists attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris earlier this year, I was across town, watching the events unfold on Twitter. The proximity of the attack left me stunned; its scale and brutality were paralyzing. But I was safe. I knew my husband was safe too.

But on Friday night, news of violence in my neighborhood, the 11th arrondissement, left me breathless. I was at home texting with a friend when I glanced at my Twitter feed and spotted an update from journalist Stefan de Vries: “BREAKING: #Paris 3 people wounded after shootout; shooter on the run in the neighborhood around Place de la République.”

My husband was dining with colleagues on the other side of the 11th arrondissement. I texted him warning him to avoid the Place de la République on his way home. The news said the area was being evacuated; shots had been fired. “Sounds bad,” I wrote.

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