Earlier yesterday morning, a masked gunman opened fire in the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The initial reports of the crisis are saying that twelve people have been killed and ten more are wounded. A witness from the shooting episode claimed he saw the whole incident from a building in the center of the French Capital. “About a half hour ago, two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs” stated Benoit Bringer.  A Kalashnikov is a type of rifle or submachine gun made in Russia, particularly the AK-47 assault rifle. “A few minutes later, we heard lots of shots,” Bringer said.

The police spokesman in Paris said that it is the work of three armed men wearing masks who forced their entrance into the offices of Charlie Hebdo. He said that the weapons they are carrying are AK-47 weapons,and that the attacks have lasted a few minutes before the men leave by car. The French authorities have added extra security to places around the city including places of worship and places of public transportation. This past month, Prime Minister Valls ordered additional military personnel to reinforce a routine deployment of security forces after a string of attacks across France. The attackers have not yet been caught, and we can only hope for the safety of the citizens of France at this time.