[Palio di Siena]

He was no doubt scared they were going to kill him as well.
He was trying to save his own butt.

[nuconvert]

“He was trying to save his own butt.”

Then he wouldn’t have run to the police for help after he escaped and given them information on the layout of the store and the people inside.

[BeadCounter]

“He slipped away using a goods lift and was able to provide police with valuable information about what has happening inside the store. “

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11337899/Paris-terror-attacks-Muslim-worker-at-Jewish-store-hid-customers-in-cold-store.html

So the way I understand it, the Malian and the customers were in the basement, then he showed them the cold storage unit to hide on, perhaps they all could not fit on the goods lift, and he used it himself to get away, he never confronted the gunman himself it sounds to me like but fled.

[null and void]

He was no doubt scared they were going to kill him as well.

No doubt, but when push came to shove, he put the customers in a place of safety, and then went back through the danger zone to get help.

He's a mensch in my book.