Charlie Hebdo shooting
A terrorist attack in Paris on January 7, 2015, in which gunmen killed 12 people at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Charlie Hebdo: A French satirical weekly known for irreverent cartoons and commentary on politics, religion, and public life. The newspaper’s offices were the site of the January 7 attack.
Saïd Kouachi: A French terrorist who, with his brother Chérif, attacked Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices on January 7, 2015. He was one of the two gunmen who killed twelve people at the newspaper.
Hyper Cacher siege: A hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket in Paris on January 9, 2015, carried out by Amedy Coulibaly. It was the final major attack in the same wave of violence.
Je suis Charlie: A slogan of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo and support for freedom of expression after the January 2015 attack. It became a widely used response to the killings and a symbol of public solidarity.
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy: An international controversy sparked by a Danish newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad in 2005. Charlie Hebdo republished several cartoons from this controversy in 2006.
Chérif Kouachi: A French terrorist who, with his brother Saïd, attacked Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices on January 7, 2015. He joined Saïd in the attack and was killed with him two days later.
Dammartin-en-Goële hostage crisis: A January 2015 siege at a printing business near Paris, where the Kouachi brothers were cornered by police. The brothers were killed there two days after the newspaper attack.
Charlie Hebdo and freedom of speech: Debates about the limits and protections of satirical expression following the attack on Charlie Hebdo. The killings renewed arguments over defending cartoons that many considered offensive.
Charlie Hebdo Muhammad cartoons: Cartoons of Muhammad published by Charlie Hebdo that provoked condemnation, threats, and legal disputes. The paper’s publication of Muhammad cartoons formed part of the attackers’ stated grievance.
Ahmed Merabet: A French police officer killed by Saïd and Chérif Kouachi as they fled the Charlie Hebdo offices. His killing was captured on video and became one of the attack’s defining images.