12 Dead in Attack on Paris Magazine Famous for Muhammed Controversy
At least twelve are dead and ten wounded after a French satirical magazine was attacked Wednesday morning, in what French President Francois Hollande called “undoubtedly a terrorist attack.”
“About a half an hour ago, three black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs,” one witness told a French news station. “A few minutes later, we heard lots of shots.”
One eyewitness said the shooters stalked the hallways asking for people by name.
Below is a photo believed to be of the two of the 3 shooters:
Les tireurs de #ChalieHebdo face à une voiture de police. Ils ont fait feu, les policiers ont répliqué puis reculé pic.twitter.com/Ld1sxkRLvW
— Elise Barthet (@EliseBarthet) January 7, 2015
Unconfirmed reports say a rocket launcher was used in the attack. “There was a loud gunfire and at least one explosion,” another eyewitness reported. “When police arrived there was a mass shoot-out. The men got away by car, stealing a car.”
The shooters are believed to be still at large.
The magazine, Charlie Hebdo, has been at the center of a controversy surrounding the mockery of Muhammed; it initially courted controversy when it ran a Dutch cartoon of the Islamic prophet. (Islam forbids any depiction of Muhammed.) In 2011 the magazine ran an issue “guest-editing” by Muhammed, a caricature of whom appeared on the cover saying “100 lashes if you don’t die laughing.” Its officers were firebombed in response, though the building was empty at the time.
The magazine’s publication of another mockery of Muhammed in 2012 set France on high alert. “I don’t feel as though I’m killing someone with a pen,” editor and cartoonist Stéphane Charbonnier said at the time. “I’m not putting lives at risk. When activists need a pretext to justify their violence, they always find it.” Charlie Hebdo has long been an equal opportunity offender of religions.
France raised its security level Wednesday at government, religious, and media buildings in response to the attack.
This is a developing story, and Mediaite will update it as more information becomes available.
Below is unconfirmed video footage of the shooters opening their attack. *** WARNING: GRAPHIC ***
Below is unconfirmed video purporting to be taken from a nearby rooftop:
Watch live coverage below, via NBC News:
Watch CNN’s initial report below:
[h/t New York Times]
[Image via screengrab]
