A timeline of the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the response in France and around the world:
Wednesday, January 7
11:30 a.m. Two masked gunmen enter the offices of Charlie Hebdo after threatening cartoonist Corinne Rey to let them in the building. The staff are in an editorial meeting and the gunmen head straight for the paper’s editor, Stephane Charbonnier, killing him and his police bodyguard first, according to Christophe Crepin, a police union spokesman. Eleven people are killed inside. Rey, who hid under her desk, said the attack lasted about five minutes.
The two gunmen stroll out to a black car waiting below. The gunmen are blocked by a police cruiser on Allee Verte, an ally next to the paper’s office. Video shows the gunmen exchanging gunfire with police, puncturing their cruiser with numerous bullet holes. The gunman leave the area of Charlie Hebdo’s office and drive north on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, a residential street. The gunmen stop their car when they see an injured police officer on the ground. They calmly approach the officer who raises his hands towards the attackers before being shot in the head. The men flee in a car heading north from the capitol.
Shortly after, the men crash into a Volkswagon on Rue de Meux in Paris’ 19th arrondissement. They try to continue in their vehicle but are forced to abandon it near the Porte de Pantin metro station. They hijack a new vehicle and escape.
12:34 French President Francois Hollande heads to the scene of the shooting.
12:40 France raises terror alert to highest level.
1:00 Hollande speaks near the scene of the shooting. Says there is no doubt this was a terrorist attack.
1:00 Security reinforced at schools, offices, and houses of worship.
2:00 The hashtag #jesuischarlie emerges on Twitter to express solidarity with those affected by the attack.
2:37 Prime Minister Stephen Harper condemns the attacks on Twitter and tweets his support to France.
2:45 Paper’s editor and a prominent cartoonist confirmed among the 12 dead by Francois Molins, Paris Prosecutor.
3:45 Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, France’s top security official, confirms three gunmen responsible for the attack.
5:30 Crowds gather in Place de la Republique holding up pens and pencils to protest the attack and show solidarity. Similar demonstrations take place in London, Berlin, and Madrid.
8:00 Hollande adresses the nation, declaring a national day of mourning on Thursday. During his televised address he tells the country, “We will win. Nothing will make us renounce our determination. Long live the republic. Long live France.”
8:00 Several mosques around the country attacked.
8:30 Police identify three suspects. Two of the suspects are brothers of French nationality, Said and Cherif Kouachi, both in their 30s. The third suspect is Hamyd Mourad, 18, whose nationality is unknown.
10:07 The Guardian reports that a spokesman for the French Police says that authorities have arrested the three suspects. However, since Cazeneuve did not mention the arrests in his recent address to the media, the arrests are unconfirmed.
11:00 Hamyd Mourad surrenders himself to police
11:30 Police confirm anti-terror raid underway in northeastern city of Reims.
Thursday, January 8
Pre-dawn A female police officer and street-cleaner are shot during a traffic stop in the southern edge of Paris. The police officer later dies of her injuries and the second victim is in critical condition. Cazeneuve says it is not clear whether this shooting is connected to the attack at Charlie Hebdo.
9:30 Cazeneuve announces 7 people connected to the suspects are in police custody.
10:30 Said and Cherif Kouchi hold-up a gas station in the northern Aisne region.
Noon France holds moment of silence during the country’s national day of mourning.
2:50 The Guardian reports that the next edition of Charlie Hebdo will come out next week.
4:25 Highest alert level extended to north region where suspects were spotted.
With files from The Associated Press
Source:: National Post
