Youngest suspect in French terror attack surrenders to police

PARIS -- France raised its security alert to the highest level Wednesday after masked gunmen stormed the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people and critically injuring at least four others before escaping.

France's top security official confirmed that three gunmen carried out deadly attack. ABC News reports the two of the suspects are believed to be brothers. Two officials named the suspects as Frenchmen Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi, in their early 30s, as well as 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad, whose nationality wasn't immediately clear. Cherif Kouachi, 34, is on global watch list, ABC News has confirmed. Kouachi, along with six others, was sentenced in May 2008 to 3 years in prison for terrorism in Paris.

ABC News reports that the youngest suspect has surrendered to police.

French news outlet France 24 posted a video from the attacks in which shots can be heard and those reported to be the gunmen can be seen. A cry of "Allahu akbar!" -- Arabic for "God is great" -- could be heard among the gunshots.

Tap to see video if viewing on News app.

The Paris prosecutor's office says that the editor and a cartoonist are among the dead. The men, Stephane Charbonnier and Jean Cabut, went by the pen names Charb and Cabu.

The weekly has previously drawn condemnation from Muslims for its portrayal of the religion. Charlie Hebdo's offices were firebombed in 2011 after a spoof issue featuring a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad on its cover. Nearly a year later, the publication again published crude Muhammad caricatures, drawing denunciations around the Muslim world.

The newspaper had a police officer guarding it, and that officer was among those killed, reported ABC News.

Xavier Castaing, head of communications for the Paris police prefecture, confirmed the deaths. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that 12 are dead in the attack, which took place around noon local time, and the gunmen are still at large.

A witness to the attack, Benoit Bringer, told the iTele network he saw multiple masked men armed with automatic weapons at the newspaper's office in central Paris. The attackers went to the second floor and started firing indiscriminately in the newsroom, said Christophe DeLoire of Reporters Without Borders.

Luc Poignant, an official of the SBP police union, said the attackers escaped in two vehicles.

On Wednesday, France reinforced security at houses of worship, stores, media offices and transportation. News outlets are receiving the highest level of protection, reported ABC News.

The Islamic State group has repeatedly threatened to attack France. Just minutes before the attack, Charlie Hebdo had tweeted a satirical cartoon of that extremist group's leader giving New Year's wishes. Another cartoon, released in this week's issue and entitled "Still No Attacks in France," had a caricature of an extremist fighter saying "Just wait - we have until the end of January to present our New Year's wishes."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. World leaders including President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the attack, but supporters of the militant Islamic State group celebrated the slayings as well-deserved revenge against France. President Obama released the following statement:

I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack and the people of France at this difficult time. France is America's oldest ally, and has stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the fight against terrorists who threaten our shared security and the world. Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended. France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice.

French President Francois Hollande called the slayings a terrorist attack and said that several other terror attacks have been thwarted "in recent weeks."

He condemned the acts, stating in a tweet that "no barbaric act will ever extinguish the freedom of the press." He said that France would react as a united country.

"This is a terrorist operation against an office that has been threatened several times which is why it was protected," Hollande said. "We are in extremely difficult days - we are threatened because we are a country of liberty."

In a somber address to the nation Wednesday night, Hollande pledged to hunt down the killers, and pleaded with his compatriots to come together in a time of insecurity and suspicion.

"Let us unite, and we will win," he said. "Vive la France!"

Throughout the day Wednesday, the movement #JeSuisCharlie (I am Charlie) was trending online in memory of those killed who worked at Charlie Hebdo. French reporters and bystanders tweeted about crowds gathering in central Paris out of solidarity with the newspaper.

Less than 12 hours after the attack, the newspaper replaced its homepage with the message "Je Suis Charlie."

The leader of Reporters Without Borders said, "This is the darkest day of the history of the French press."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.