Shooting at Paris Newspaper Office
A shooting at the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo early this afternoon has left at least 12 people dead and a number of others seriously injured.
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President Obama is going to be meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry momentarily in the Oval Office and they are expected to discuss the Paris attack.
Kerry addressed the "murderous attack" during a joint appearance with Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetnya at the State Department.
After addressing the press in English, Kerry, whose family has French roots, spoke at length in fluent French as well.
Besides his familial connections, Kerry has made a point to build a strong diplomatic relationship with the French leadership. France is the country he has traveled to most during his time as Secretary of state, making 18 trips to the country in the past two years. -
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Secrétaire @JohnKerry: «Tous les Américains sont aux côtés de la France» video.state.gov/snappytv/?s=43… http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6wuR51CUAER6tn.png
by USEmbassyFrance via twitter 1/7/2015 5:05:25 PM -
It's now just after 6:00 p.m. in Paris and here's what we know so far:
-Three gunmen attacked the staff of a French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, this morning
-12 people were killed and three others were seriously injured
-The shooters' identities or affiliations are not known but footage from the scene appears to show at least one of the men shouting "Allahu Akbar," an Islamic phrase that means "God is great"
-Agence France Presse reports that the attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and a rocket launcher
-The attackers escaped the scene, in the heart of Paris, after hijacking a car
-Paris' terror warning was raised to the highest level and extra security forces have been ordered to protect the French consulate in New York
-World leaders have condemned the attack, including President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron -
The latest issue of Charlie Hebdo, which was released today before the attack, has reportedly sold out on the streets of Paris.
The cover focuses on a new fiction book by Michel Houellebecq, "Submission," which depicts France led by an Islamic party that bans women from the workplace. -
ABC News Special Report as President Obama speaks from the Oval Office, saying how he called President Hollande and "express[ed] my deepest sympathies." abcnews.go.com
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Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins gave an update moments ago and said that there saying that 10 people were killed during an editorial meeting at the newspaper, and the two other victims were a police officer who had been ordered to protect the office, and the building's doorman. None of their names were officially released the the autopsies will be performed Thursday.
He also gave an updated number of the others injured in the attack, saying that in addition to the fatalities there were 11 people injured, four of whom critically.
