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UW student studying in Paris says he nearly visited restaurant that was attacked: “So glad we didn`t”
UW student studying in Paris says he nearly visited restaurant that was attacked: "So glad we didn`t"
MILWAUKEE -- A vigil was held on the UW-Milwaukee campus on Monday, November 16th to honor the at least 129 people killed in the terror attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13th. Many college students choose to study abroad. Mark Eckman runs the study abroad program at UWM, and told FOX6 News on Friday the school had six students in France. UW-Madison officials reported on Friday all of its students studying in France were safe. FOX6 News spoke with one of those students via Skype.
Ben Winding
Ben Winding's semester abroad was meant to be an exciting, fun and educational experience for the UW-Madison senior.
"This city is truly amazing -- and I don't want to shorten my time here at all," Winding said.
Winding's studies in Paris have now become memorable for other reasons. On Friday, November 13th, Winding went to a restaurant with another UW-Madison student. Another friend provided a list of restaurants to choose from.
"One of the restaurants she gave up was Le Petit Cambodge -- which was the very first place of the shootings and we're just so glad we didn't choose to go there of all places," Winding said.
Ben Winding in France
Winding and his friend chose another restaurant -- but they did end up in a bar that was close to one of the attacks.
"Once we heard that the death toll started going up and up and the attacks started getting more and more, everyone in the bar started getting calls. We started to see everyone get a little more freaked out," Winding said.
Friends from Madison started texting Winding, asking if he was OK -- and giving him the news.
"Everyone moved to the back of the bar, away from the windows. The bar closed the doors and locked them and no one was really permitted to leave through the front entrance," Winding said.
On Sunday, Winding walked the streets of Paris -- snapping photos of the memorial to honor those killed in the terrorist shootings and bombings while he was on lockdown close by.
"The mood here is panicked and paranoid. I was at Plaza de Republique today -- and to see the memorial they set up for people, it was really moving. I checked out Bataclan and it was closed off," Winding said.
On Monday, Winding returned to class in Paris. After a moment of silence -- alarms sounded. A suspicious package was found -- and the school was evacuated.
Once again, Winding was safe.
Ben Winding school in Paris evacuated
Winding, who is from Madison, tells FOX6 he's not sure how long he'll be staying in Paris now. He says he has to think about it -- and consider whether now is perhaps not the best time for him to be there.
CLICK HERE for complete coverage of the Paris terror attacks via FOX6Now.com.