Randy Culpepper living in France talks with ABC-7

one local in france. today we caught up with a former, well-known utep athlete, who is currently living near paris. he described how the city is on a lockdown right now. abc-7’s jerry najera continues our complete coverage with a story you’ll see only on abc-7: evan, josie: earlier today i spoke with utep basketball player randy culpepper. culpepper played for the miners from 2007 to 2011. right now he’s playing professional basketball for a euroleague in limoges, france. only a few hours away from paris. “it was late here. it was maybe midnight, one o’clock in the morning, and my mother called me just to make sure i was doing ok.” rand culpepper tells me he was unaware of the attacks only a few hours away from his city in limoges, france that’s where the former utep basketball player is currently living- playing for the limoges csp basketball team. it was his mom who notified him of the attacks. “i got on social media and just, you know, saw the outrage. everybody just posting pictures and tweeting about it.” culpepper tells me he was shocked when he realized terrorists had killed more than a hundred people in france “half of my mind i was thanking god that i wasn’t there, because i was supposed to go there for a few days just to relax and visit.” his nex thought he tells me-was for his teammates. “a majority of m teammates are french. so, they have family, they have have friends in the city of paris, and i was just more worried for them.” culpepper tells me he had practice early saturday. many of his teammates already concerned for loved ones they hadn’t heard from. other teammates with friends caught in the mayhem “she just heard a loud explosion and gunshots, and her and the people she was at the restaurant with just ran in the back and took cover and ran to the back and locked the doors.” despite the attacks culpepper says it won’t keep him from visiting the amazing city “any chance i do get to go to paris i’ll still go. of course i’ll still be cautious of my surroundings, but i’m sure i won’t go anytime soon.” culpepper tells me their games have been cancelled for now. we’ve also been in contact with nmsu and utep’s student abroad programs to see if any students of thiers are in paris. nmsu is telling us their checking with their advisors and they’ll get back with us as soon they can. utep sent us this statement just a short while ago. “we have less than a handful of students in various locations throughout france. everyone is safe and accounted for.” and back here in the borderland – it was a big day for utep – not