January 7, 2015

What We Know So Far About the Newspaper Massacre in Paris

An injured person is evacuated from the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Wednesday.Thibault Camus/AP

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This story is developing, and being updated below.

Hooded gunmen carrying automatic weapons opened fire at the offices of French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people and seriously injuring 10. The Guardian is reporting that three attackers are still at large, after they were seen escaping in a car.

French President François Hollande said the shooting was “undoubtedly a terrorist attack.” France has since raised its terror alert to the highest level.

According to several news reports, the gunmen were heard shouting “we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad” as they stormed into the magazine’s offices armed with Kalashnikov rifles. Charlie Hebdo, a newspaper known for its caustic, no-holds-barred cartoons, has previously sparked ire from some Muslims for its satirical take on Islam, including several caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. (The publication of the likeness of the prophet is forbidden under Islam). In 2011, the magazine was firebombed after publishing an issue “guest-edited” by the prophet. 

President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both condemned Wednesday’s attack. 

Several prominent cartoonists, including Jean Cabut and the magazine’s editor in chief, Stephane Charbonnier, were among those killed. 

Since news broke of the attack this morning, the hashtag #JesuisCharlie has been spreading on Twitter in support of the victims. The US Embassy in France also changed their Twitter profile photo to include the hashtag. 

Cartoonists around the world have also shown their solidarity with Charlie Hebdo with powerful images:

Update: Thursday, January 8, 2015, 8:30 a.m. EST: Two suspects believed to be behind the deadly Paris attack, Said and Cherif Kouachi, remain at large. A third suspect, Hamyd Mourad, surrendered to authorities. 

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We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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