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An intense manhunt is underway in Paris, France after gunmen (pictured above) shot and killed 12 people and critically injured others in an attack on a magazine office early Wednesday. Several masked gunmen wearing armored vests rushed into the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and opened fire, killing 12 people and critically injuring 4 others.
The gunmen reportedly shouted “We have avenged the Prophet!” before fleeing in a black hatchback car. The above photo shows the gunmen shooting and killing a policeman who was in the act of surrendering outside the office.
Shocking amateur video shot by a witness in an adjacent building shows the officer’s execution. 2 policemen are confirmed among the dead. The 2 police officers were assigned to protect the magazine staff from terrorist retaliation.
The attacks were blamed on a satirical cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad that ran on the cover of Charlie Hebdo magazine recently. The satirical cartoon shows the prophet kneeling in the sand as he is about to be decapitated by an ISIS militant.
The terrorists stormed the offices on the same day that a staff meeting was scheduled for all magazine staff.
The world responded to the Paris attacks with outrage and prayers for the dead and injured. “The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron. France’s president called the attacks “a terrorist operation.”
President Barack Obama, who is believe to be muslim, has not yet released a statement.
UPDATE: President Obama finally released a statement on the attacks in Paris today. While hesitating to call the attacks an act of terrorism, Obama said “I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris.”
UPDATE: Pictured are 2 of the Charlie Hebdo magazine cartoonists who were killed during Paris attack. The cartoonist on the right published an ironic cartoon in the magazine before he died. The cartoon shows a terrorist with a rifle slung over his shoulder. The caption says “Still no terror attacks in France” with the terrorist saying “hang on, we still have until the end of January to give our new year wishes.”
In 2012, one of the cartoonists said he wasn’t afraid to die for publishing religious satire. “I am not afraid of retaliation. I have no kids, no wife, no car, no mortgage. It surely is a bit dramatic but I’d rather die on my feet, than live on my knees,” he said.
