Business owner still bears scars from Charlie Hebdo attackers

Global Business

A year ago, two of the Charlie Hebdo attackers, brothers who were born, raised, and radicalized in Paris, fled the scene and took hostages at a printing factory outside Paris. The gunmen were shot dead by police.

A year later, the business still bears the scars of the people who work there.

CCTV America’s Owen Fairclough reports.

Business owner still bears scars from Charlie Hebdo attackers

A year ago, two of the Charlie Hebdo attackers, brothers who were born, raised, and radicalized in Paris, fled the scene and took hostages at a printing factory outside Paris. The gunmen were shot dead by police.

Michel Catalano doesn’t visit his print shop very often anymore. His factory 30 kilometers north of Paris is still riddled with bullets from France’s elite police force.

The minute-long assault destroyed a business Catalano took 15 years to build and left deep psychological scars.

He saved the life of one his employees, Lilian, by distracting the attackers so he could hide. His other employees also survived.

“The thing I’m most proud of is that Lilian is still alive and that the staff of my company came out with their lives intact. If someone had died that day, I don’t think I’d be here today in the state I’m in,” he said.

Catalano had to relocate the business temporarily to another town, but he hopes to reopen at the same site by August this year.