The hostage taker at a Kosher store in Paris is reportedly the same individual who shot a police woman, execution-style, following the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Dramatic images from France are coming fast and furious as police deals with not one, but two hostage situations simultaneously. Here is what we know so far and the details are sketchy as this is a very fluid situation.
First, the two brothers police were hunting for, in connection with the brutal murder of 12 people in the Charlie Hebdo shooting on Wednesday, are reportedly holed up in a town north of Paris and have at least one hostage. In a separate attack, a Kosher store in the city, was stormed by a man and a woman on Friday, killing at least two victims.
Charlie Hebdo attack: Helicopters hunt for suspects in woods of France. http://t.co/nWlE0YPr4O pic.twitter.com/LstbtC4t18
— CNN (@CNN) January 9, 2015
The man is reportedly the same gunman who gunned down an unarmed police woman on Thursday, an incident which the media had dismissed at being unrelated to the Charlie Hebdo shooting . However, there are breaking reports that the man told negotiators that he will not surrender until the brothers are let go.
A massive manhunt following the tragic events on Wednesday, led police to a warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, where Cherif and Said Kouachi are currently surrounded by police. The murderers initially escaped the Charlie Hebdo shooting scene in a departure from recent attacks where the shooters take their own lives.
Now the killers have reportedly said they want to “die as martyrs.” Paris is currently on edge and on lockdown where heavy police presence can be seen as people try to go about their normal lives. Despite the tragic events, thousands have gathered in the streets to pay tribute to the victims and stand up for freedom of speech.
It is unclear why this particular Kosher store was targeted by the terrorist, however, it is apparently tied in some fashion to the Charlie Hebdo attack. There are reports that the attack happened just before sun down when the store would have been busiest.
Two suspects have been identified in the death of a policewoman in southern Paris on Thursday. http://t.co/pFkYOUTUZk pic.twitter.com/MF3ZqQtdOm
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 9, 2015
@sentletse And this is the municipal (weaponless) policewoman this chap apparently shot and killed yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Oid1CWwoXz
— Thierry Cassuto (@thierrycassuto) January 9, 2015
The Kosher store attacker reportedly walked in the store saying, “You know who I am.” Unconfirmed reports in Italy suggest this gunman was involved in the 1995 attack on the Paris Métro and RER bombings.
Stay tuned for more news relating to the Kosher store attack in Paris and the search for the suspects responsible for the Charlie Hebdo shooting, who described themselves as members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
[Image via Twitter ]