WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday offered U.S. assistance to pursue the terrorists responsible for a “horrific shooting” at a satirical weekly newspaper that left 12 people dead.
In a statement, Obama condemned the shooting and offered thoughts and prayers for the people of France, which he called “America’s oldest ally.”
“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,” Obama said.
Masked gunmen stormed the office of the satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday and then escaped. It is France’s deadliest terror attack in at least two decades. Charlie Hebdo has been repeatedly threatened for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and other controversial sketches.
Shortly after Obama’s statement was released, Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in both English and French, said every American stands with France today.