BREAKING: 12 Dead After ‘Terror Attack’ on Satirical French Paper Reportedly over Issue Guest Edited by Muhammad

The homepage of the #CharlieHebdo website right now http://t.co/q1yC7tmhDN pic.twitter.com/xpVzVN3XIE

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 7, 2015

A manhunt is currently underway after masked gunman opened fire at the office of satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, leaving 12 people dead and another three critically injured.

Witnesses say three men armed with AK-47s wearing black hoods forced their way into the building and began indiscriminately shooting people before fleeing by car. Schools are on lockdown throughout the city, and President Hollande has elevated the nation to its highest terror alert status.

Aucun acte barbare ne saura jamais éteindre la liberté de la presse. Nous sommes un pays unis qui saura réagir et faire bloc. — François Hollande (@fhollande) January 7, 2015

Terrorists in Paris attack first went to the wrong office: http://t.co/qlHao65uZy — Justin Raimondo (@JustinRaimondo) January 7, 2015

Four of France’s best known cartoonists among the dead in the shooting at Charlie Hebdo http://t.co/4QZWHQUOb4 pic.twitter.com/fKeI759f9Q — People magazine (@peoplemag) January 7, 2015

Charlie Hebdo has dealt in satire since the days of the French Revolution. The paper’s office was burned down in 2011 on the same day it was due to release an issue making fun of Islamic law.

The paper had received multiple threats more recently after publishing a spoof issue that was “guest edited” by The Prophet Muhammed (two of the victims include police officers were were assigned to guard the paper at the time against just such attacks).

While many in official positions are decrying this as a terror attack carried out to silence free speech — Secretary of State John Kerry is calling the victims “martyrs for liberty” — the same administration condemned Charlie Hebdo in the past and the media is, at the same time, censoring the very Charlie Hebdo cartoons in question these people supposedly lost their lives to publish:

Remember when the Obama people attacked Charlie Hebdo? http://t.co/RYNAr2Y5fF

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 7, 2015

Vile disgusting censorship RT @RosieGray: The @NYDailyNews is censoring the Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Muhammad pic.twitter.com/oI8dmuIFBz — Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 7, 2015

If the world had any backbone all global media outlets would post Charlie Hebdo cartoons every day for a month #paristerror — Northy (@NorthmanTrader) January 7, 2015

Repeating this: censoring Charlie Hebdo in your coverage is excusing and and defending mass murder https://t.co/jHaHqJ0rkQ — Joshua Foust (@joshuafoust) January 7, 2015