Hero Of Kosher Grocery Siege Will Become A French Citizen

Later, Bathily told France 24 TV that the market is the heart of what has become “a second family” for him.

Here’s how NPR’s Lauren Frayer described the actions that have made Bathily a hero to many:

“Bathily was in the basement storeroom, near a walk-in refrigerator, when Coulibaly burst in upstairs.

” ‘I opened the door to the fridge and rushed some of the shoppers inside,’ Bathily said. ‘Then I turned off the light, and closed the door behind us. I told them to stay calm — and then I went back out.’

“Bathily managed to escape through a delivery shaft. After he and his co-worker convinced police he was not a threat, he was able to describe the layout of the store, and where certain hostages were hiding. He also gave them a key to open the store’s metal shutters for them to make their assault.

“Four Jewish hostages died, but many of those who survived say Bathily helped save them.

” ‘I didn’t know or care if they were Jews or Christians or Muslims,’ he said. ‘We’re all in the same boat.’ “