UPDATE November 16, 12:54 p.m.: According to a press release posted to the WKU News WordPress blog, eight WKU students currently in Paris are safe and accounted for. 

The press release states that five WKU students studying at Harlaxton are on a weekend trip to Paris, and three students currently student teaching in Barcelona, Spain are also in the city. 

A series of bombing and shooting attacks took place in Paris, France on Friday evening. According to a post made this evening on the University of Evansville’s Facebook page, “the group of UE and Harlaxton students traveling in Paris are together, safe, and all accounted for.” The Herald has confirmed this includes students from WKU. 

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In an email to faculty and staff on Monday, President Gary Ransdell said staff in Study Abroad and Global Learning (SAGL), the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and in Public Affairs spent Friday night determining which WKU students were in Paris at the time of the attacks.

Ransdell said eight students were in Paris, five are studying at Harlaxton and were in Paris for the weekend, and three are doing student teaching in Barcelona and were in Paris for the weekend. 

“All were accounted for and safe, and all have now returned to their respective study abroad homes,” Ransdell said in the email.  “In addition, we have four French students currently studying at WKU.  Staff in our International Student Services office has reached out to each of those students to offer support as needed.”

The Herald will update this story with more information as it becomes available.