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'You will always be the love of my life': Girlfriend's heart-breaking message to victim of Paris massacre

Within hours of the tragic Paris terror attacks their images started to appear on social media.

The faces of the victims and those injured in the horrific events.

For the most part, they were fresh-faced youngsters who were hoping to enjoy a night out seeing a rock concert.

One of them was Nick Alexander, of Colchester in Essex.

Photo: Nick Alexander was tragically killed in the Paris massacre. Photo: Twitter
Photo: Nick Alexander was tragically killed in the Paris massacre. Photo: Twitter

Nick was selling merchandise at the Eagles Of Death Metal concert as fans piled into the Bataclan.

Moments later the gunshots started.

At first no one was sure where it came from but soon there were people lying on the floor in pools of blood.

Nick’s girlfriend Polina Buckley was quick to start posting messages on Twitter after she heard of the events in the French capital.

“Someone please help me find my boyfriend Nick Alexander,” she posted.
“Merch guy for EODM [Eagles of Death Metal].”

In another tweet, she posted a picture of her smiling boyfriend, with the simple plea: “Please help me find Nick Alexander.”

By mid-afternoon she learned Nick was dead.

In tragic circumstances, she found out not from police, but from details shared online.

Her heartbroken response was to upload a picture of her and Nick sharing a kiss with the message: “You are and always will be the love of my life, Nick Alexander.”

A friend of Mr Alexander, 36, who was also at the concert, revealed he died in her arms after he was shot.
Helen Wilson survived after being wounded in both legs.

She said she desperately tried to keep him breathing as they were on the floor in the hall.

Ms Wilson told the Daily Mail: “Nick was shot in front of me. We heard a couple of noises outside and people started running into the club. We didn’t know what was going on. Then maybe five, six guys came in with machine guns and shotguns and just started shooting people.

“It was mayhem. When anyone started running they would shoot them down. So we got down on the floor. I was afraid whenever I heard a step behind me... they machine-gunned everybody.”

Mr Alexander’s family later issued a statement through the Foreign Office.

It said: ‘It is with huge sorrow that we can confirm that our beloved Nick lost his life at the Bataclan. Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle, he was everyone’s best friend – generous, funny and fiercely loyal.

'Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing how much he was cherished by his friends around the world. Thank you for your thoughts and respect for our family at this difficult time. Peace and light.’

24-year-old Caroline Prénat was also at Bataclan with a group of friends including French fashion designer Emile Thoreens.

Her death was announced on a friend’s Twitter.

Caroline Prenat died at the concert. Photo: Twitter.
Caroline Prenat died at the concert. Photo: Twitter.

Thoreens escaped with her life because she went to the lavatory minutes before the shooting started.
She escaped via a fire escape.

Mathieu Hoche, 38, a technician at France24 news channel, was also killed at the concert.

Mathieu Hoche.
Mathieu Hoche.

A friend, Antoine Rousseay, tweeted about how passionately Hoche loved rock `n' roll.

Spanish news reported Alberto González Garrido, also died at Bataclan.

His family had been informed, Spanish officials said.

Algerian violinist, Kheireddine Sahbi, who was enrolled at the Sorbonne was killed last night, according to social media reports.

Mohamed Amine Benmbarek, from Morocco and his wife were also caught in the attack.
Mr Benmbarek was killed while his wife remains in critical condition, according to social media.

Two victims were Mexican women with dual nationality, Mexico's foreign ministry said on Saturday.
In a statement the ministry said one of the women also held a Spanish passport, while the other had joint Mexican-U.S. citizenship, but did not give further details.

A Turkish woman in Paris with her Belgian husband at the time, was also among those killed. The family of Elif Doğan said they were 'shocked' by the news of her death.

A German man was also shot dead as he ate with colleagues at a Cambodian restaurant targeted by gunmen.
He was working at the Paris office of Italian architect Renzo Piano.

A 63-year-old Portuguese man died when a suicide attacker detonated explosives at a McDonald's near the Stade de France.

Tunisian sisters aged 34 and 35, who lived in eastern France, were massacred as they celebrated a friend's birthday, according to French newspaper Le Figaro.

Dozens of people were still missing or feared dead.