It's been almost a tragic season this Christmas for the news. Along with incidents like the Air Asia crash which has confirmed 162 presumed dead, 3 killed in a siege in Sydney and the bin lorry which killed 6 people in Glasgow - 3 of them belonging to one family. And now the attack in Paris which has left most of us reeling.
Following a cartoon which was controversial towards an Islamic leader, allegedly 2 gunmen stormed their offices and shot 12 dead in a meeting. Their first attempt had been further down the road a different office. They asked "Is this Charlie Hebdo?" and were told it was not.
They then came to the offices for the correct building and met a receptionist, Corinne Rey who had with her her daughter, having just picked her up from nursery. They threatened to shoot her daughter unless she let them into the building, which she proceeded to do. Her and her child hid under the desk while the shootings were carried out above her. Rey was told by the men that they were from al-Qaeda.
Witnesses heard the men shout "Allahu akbar" meaning "God is Great" as they left the building. They then fled the scene in a car, having shot two policemen also. It is believed this was following the cartoon in 2011 which had already caused a firebomb attack in the past.
The French President Hollande described the event as a terrorist attack of "exceptional barbarity" and that the staff of Hebdo were "murdered in a cowardly manner."
Both Hollande and Cameron have spoken also about the importance of upholding our values of freedom of speech; Hollande stated "we are a country of freedom." Cameron released a statement saying we will "never give up" the values of free speech and liberty.
Cameron and Angela Merkel have had a meeting with Francois Hollande to offer their support in finding those responsible.
With questions having already been asked about the violence of Islam, speakers from high up in the faith have given their comments on the attack. From the French Council of Islam, a statement to all muslim people said: "exercise the utmost vigilance against possible manipulations from extremist groups."
We can now only hope the killers will be found and brought to justice.
