Emeline BROUSSARD (CC BY-NC 2.0)

In what the general secretary of the U.K.’s National Union of Journalists is calling “an attempt to assassinate the free press,” 12 people were killed in an attack on the offices of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday. Police have confirmed that at least an additional five people were seriously injured by four gunmen and that among the dead were 10 journalists and 2 policemen.

The Guardian has summarized “what we know so far” in the following list as of 7:55 a.m. local time and have stated it will continue to update its blog throughout the day here.

The Guardian:

Three gunmen entered the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo this morning and opened fire…The attackers fled the scene and later hijacked a car. They have not been caught.

The terror alert in Paris have been raised to its highest level.

French president François Hollande said the country was in shock following what he described as a terrorist attack.

Charlie Hebdo magazine had been the subject of violent attacks in the past, following its publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. Its offices were firebombed in 2011, and recent threats had also been made against it and other media groups.

Read More.

Below is an amateur recording of the attack:

—Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig