The Paris office of Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical newspaper similar to The Onion, was stormed early Wednesday by masked gunmen who managed to kill several people before escaping:
At least 11 people were killed when gunmen opened fire inside the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper in Paris famous for poking fun at the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.
At least two of the victims were police officers and one was a journalist, sources said. The identities of the other victims have not been confirmed.
The death toll has since been raised to 12.
Police have not released a motive, with French President Francois Hollande simply calling the act “a terrorist attack.” The office was firebombed in 2011 after mocking Muhammad in its November issue, listing the prophet as its editor-in-chief and featuring a cover with the caption “100 lashes if you are not dying of laughter.” The following year, Charlie Hebdo again published Muhammad caricatures.
“Nobody can attack freedom. France will find the people responsible,” said Hollande, shortly after revealing that that several other terror attacks have been thwarted “in recent weeks.”