( CNN ) A young Muslim man is being hailed as a hero in French newspapers and social media for his actions during Friday 's deadly hostage situation in a Paris supermarket . Lassana Bathily , an employee at the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Vincennes , helped guide a group of hostages into a downstairs walk-in freezer while gunman Amedy Coulibaly was allegedly preparing to kill them , according to French television station , BFMTV . Bathily , a `` practicing Muslim , '' says he entered the freezer with some people , then switched off the freezer and the light and told everyone to stay calm , according to BFMTV . `` I 'm the one ( who ) is going to go out , '' he reportedly told them . `` I took the elevator and went upstairs . '' `` [ Coulibaly ] asked us to all come upstairs , otherwise he would kill everyone who was downstairs , '' Bathily , 24 , said to BFMTV . He exited a freight elevator and ran outside . Bathily , originally from Mali , was apprehended by police , but helped them by describing the location of the freezer . `` When [ the hostages ] came out , they congratulated me , '' Bathily told BFMTV . The exact number of hostages who remained safe in the freezer is unknown , according to French newspaper L'Express . Coulibaly was killed in the ensuing shootout with police . Authorities said Coulibaly killed four Jewish hostages . Rudi Hadad , among those in the freezer , said that a few others went back upstairs during the incident . Praise was heaped on Bathily via Facebook . Gwadelle Edom said , `` Lass , I have no words to express my pride in you . You put your life in danger to save others . God saw all of it , and his mercy will be without fault . You are blessed in the eyes of humanity . '' A man who claims to be Bathily 's cousin , Abdoul Bathily , posted , `` Bravo to my cousin , Lass Bathily , you showed courage yesterday , the rest of the world would not have done it . '' France 's `` L'Express '' newspaper ran a headline titled , `` Lassana Bathily , 'musulman malien , ' héros de la prise d'otages de Vincennes , '' or `` Lassana Bathily , 'Malian Muslim , ' hero of the hostage situation in Vincennes . '' Gunman tried to justify market raid to hostages , recording apparently shows .
Lassana also locked grocery customers in a walk - in freezer . ` ` When [ the customers ] came out , they congratulated me , '' he told a CNN reporter .