Attack on Charlie Hebdo: the story of the day

je suis charlie, paris terror attack

Writing the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was the target of an attack Wednesday, January 7 in the late morning in Paris , who made ​​twelve dead. A search warrant was launched in early night against three suspects.

The younger man wanted, aged 18, went into the night in Charleville-Mezieres station, in the Ardennes. A police source, contacted by Le Monde said that "no charge" had been retained for the time being against him, and that "in his case, it's just simple checks. " The young man, who is from the same family as the two main suspects, has nevertheless been taken into custody.

The policy has focused his research on Kouachi Sharif and Said Kouachi two brothers aged 32 and 34, identified by an ID card left in one of the cars used in their escape. The first Kouachi Sharif,  was sentenced in 2008 for having participated in sending fighters die in Iraq , said the industry "Buttes Chaumont". "Anyone with information" about the suspects is asked to contact number Green 0805 17 February 17.

According to police sources contacted by Le Monde , searches were conducted Wednesday early evening in Charleville-Mezieres. A police operation was also held in Reims about 23 hours. Seven members of the entourage of the alleged perpetrators of the attack were in custody Wednesday night, said the prosecutor Thursday, January 8 in the morning.
12 dead, 11 injured, four seriously
The attack decimated writing Charlie Hebdo . Among the dead were many journalists, cartoonists  Charb , Cabu , Wolinski, Tignous, Honoré , Elsa Cayat Mustapha Ourad and Bernard Maris , columnist Charlie Hebdo and France Inter.

A maintenance worker in the building, Frédéric Boisseau, 42, employee of Sodexo , and a guest editorial, Michel Renaud, also died in the attack. According to the prosecutor, two police officers shall close this macabre balance sheet. One, the brigadier Franck Brinsolaro, the Environmental Protection Service (SDLP former HPPD) was responsible for the security of Charb, according to police union sources. The other, Merabet Ahmed, was killed outside, while the attackers were fleeing.
It is the deadliest attack in France since the Organization military secret (OAS) against a train Strasbourg -Paris, which had killed 28 people in 1961 during the war in Algeria .
The Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, also announced that eleven people were injured, four seriously, including the journalist Philippe Lançon and two policemen. According to information from the World Philippe Lançon, literary critic at Libération and regular columnist Charlie, was seriously wounded in the lower face by a bullet. He had surgery at the Pitié-Salpêtrière, and his days are not in danger.
Read also the story of our special correspondent after the tragedy: Before "Charlie Hebdo", "We thought he heard firecrackers was gusts"


The Molins prosecutor delivered in the evening a first account of events. At least two masked men dressed in black broke into about 11: 30 pm at the offices of Charlie Hebdo after s' be first wrong address, believing find writing at number 6 of Nicolas Appert-street.
Kalashnikovs, they shot a person who was at the reception, before climbing upstairs to reach the writing of Charlie Hebdo . The journalists were in full weekly editorial meeting. The attackers began to draw on designers and journalists,  as recounted Coco, the newspaper cartoonist, who said that men "spoke perfect French" and  "if claiming Al Qaeda. »

"The attackers were informed and knew that there was, on Wednesday at 10 am, meeting weekly editorial. Otherwise, the rest of the week, there is not much world 's premises " , says a journalist Charlie Hebdo joined by Le Monde , which was not there during the attack.
The attackers then left the building. A video taken by a reporter of the agency First Lines shows that men shouted "Allah Akbar" ("God is great"), continuing to shoot . Witnesses quoted by police, the attackers also shouted: "We have avenged the Prophet. »
The men boarded their vehicle, and then in their flight, they targeted a police car. This picture has procured our special correspondent on site, we can see the shooters face a car police. The men opened fire, police responded and then declined.

Two other officers, who were cycling in the area, then tried to intervene Boulevard Richard-Lenoir. Merabe Ahmed, a police officer from the police station on 11 th  arrondissement, aged 42, was hit by a shot. The two assailants then killed in cold blood, according to the prosecutor of Paris.

Flight to the North of Paris

The killers then take their flight from Place du Colonel Fabien, direction Porte de Pantin. They hit a Volkswagen vehicle, injuring its driver. They then abandoned their car street Meaux, near the Buttes Chaumont park in the 19 th arrondissement.
Then they shine a driver of a Clio, seized the car and fled on board the Clio. We lose track of them Porte de Pantin. Since then, the police managed to identify the three men and launched a search warrant. The third went in Charleville Mezieres station.
A police source told the world that "very large means are implemented. We moved to keep the long term. Mobilized the services of DCPJ [Central Directorate of the Judicial Police] , the PJPP [criminal investigation police headquarters] and SID [DG Internal Security] . In total , nearly 3,000 police are being mobilized. "
An investigation was opened for murder, attempted murder, robbery arm ed by an organized group, and conspiracy to prepare acts of terrorism, said the prosecutor Molins. It was entrusted to three police: DCPJ, counter section of the criminal brigade of the judicial police in Paris (the 36th Precinct) and the Directorate General of Internal Security (ISB).

Men apparently trained

Military observers interviewed by Le Monde noticed that the behavior of the killers is that of seasoned soldiers and shows a solid workout. According to a police officer, a former member of a close protection service, told Agence France-Presse, "is evident in how they hold their weapons, they are progressing quietly, coldly they necessarily received training military type. These are not enlightened who acted on a whim. "
Vigipirate Plan and Crisis
After the attack, the Vigipirate was raised in Ile-de-France to "alert attacks", the highest level announced Matignon. School trips to Paris were suspended until further notice and the numbers of soldiers on patrol passed 450 to 650 men.
The Prime Minister, Manuel Valls , has "turned the interministerial crisis and entrusted the operational management to the interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve." A police presence was also deployed close to other Parisian editors.