Charlie Hebdo shooting: At least 11 killed as shots fired at satirical magazine's Paris office
ednesday 07 January 2015
At least 11 people have been killed in a shooting incident at the Paris office of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, police have said.
Witnesses and police officials said that multiple gunmen were involved, and that they were seen armed with AK47s and pump action shotguns. According to France's AFP news agency, the men were armed with at least one rocket launcher.
Xavier Castaing, head of communications for the Paris police, confirmed the deaths, and said that 10 others are injured. Five were reported to be in a critical condition.
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Charlie Hebdo shooting
Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris
Philippe Dupeyrat/AFP/Getty Images
Luc Poignard, an official with the French police union official, said three police officers had been injured and that the attackers had escaped in two vehicles. AFP reported that two police officers were among those killed.
Video footage posted to social media showed armed gunmen running through the streets of Paris, shooting with automatic weapons and shouting "Allahu Akbar".
 Armed gunmen face police officers near the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris  French President Francois Hollande (C) arrives after a shooting at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo  A victim is evacuated on a stretcher after armed gunmen stormed the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris French President Francois Hollande has travelled to the scene in Paris's 11th arrondissement after what he called the "terrorist attack".
Speaking to reporters, he repeated the figure of 11 dead, as well as stating that four of those injured were "between life and death".
He said it was the latest in a series of terrorist incidents on French soil, and that the nation was in a state of shock. "We are a country of liberty, and because of that we receive threats," he said.
 Firefighters and police officers gather in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris  A bullet's impact on the window of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, after armed gunmen stormed the offices leaving at least 10 people dead  Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris Paris has raised its terror alert to the highest setting in the aftermath of the attack, while the gunmen themselves are still reported to be on the run.
The Charlie Hebdo magazine is most famous internationally for publishing a controversial series of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in 2012.
A year earlier, its offices had been firebombed after a spoof issue featured a caricature of Mohammed on its cover.
 Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris  Police forces gather in street outside the offices in Paris According to Le Monde, a source said that one of the magazine's cartoonists, known as Riss, was injured during the attack.
The latest post sent by the Charlie Hebdo Twitter account was a picture of the Isis militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
 Screen grabbed image taken from the Twitter feed of @Charlie_Hebdo_ of their latest tweet David Cameron led the British response to the unfolding incident, condemning the attack on Twitter.
"The murders in Paris are sickening," he said. "We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press."
Read more: It's Charlie Hebdo's right to draw MuhammadPhilip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, wrote: "Appalled to hear news of apparent terrorist attack in Paris. My thoughts are with the family and friends of those killed."
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