Paris Massacre: How it all unfolded & faces of the targeted victims

The three photos below are screen shots from a horrific footage which shows an injured police officer slumped on the pavement as two of the gunmen approach. In a desperate plea for his life, the officer slowly raises his hand towards one of the attackers, who callously shoots him at point-blank range

Twelve people were killed today when gunmen carried out a massacre at the offices of a notoriously anti-Islamist newspaper in Paris - including a police officer who was executed as he begged for mercy on the pavement.

Masked attackers brandishing Kalashnikovs burst into the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, opening fire on staff after seeking out journalists by name.

Clad all in black with hoods and speaking flawless French, the militants forced one of the cartoonists - who was at the office with her young daughter - to open the door.

Witnesses said the suspected Al Qaeda gunmen were heard to shout 'the Prophet has been avenged' and 'Allahu akbar!' – Arabic for 'God is great' – as they stalked the building. 

They headed straight for the paper's editor and cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier, killing him and his police bodyguard, who had recruited to protect him following earlier threats.

They also killed three other renowned cartoonists – men who had regularly satirised Islam and the Prophet Mohammed – and the newspaper's deputy chief editor.

Horrific footage emerged showing an injured police officer slumped on the pavement as two gunmen approached him outside the office minutes later.

In an apparent desperate plea for his life, the officer is seen slowly raising his hand towards one of the attackers, who responds by callously shooting him in the head at point-blank range. 

Despite a shoot-out with armed officers, the 'calm and highly disciplined' men were able to escape in a hijacked car and remain on the loose.

HOW ATTACK ON CHARLIE HEBDO HQ UNFOLDED

10.28am - The satirical magazine updates its Twitter page with a cartoon of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In it, he wishes everyone 'good health'.

10.57am - The AFP news agency reports shots have been fired at the French weekly magazine, on Boulevard Richard Lenoir.

11.17am - Eyewitness accounts emerge showing the immediate aftermath of the scene.

11.22am - AFP confirms the first death as a result of the shooting. Three minutes later it confirms the death toll has risen to 10.

11.31am - President Francois Hollande is en-route to visit the magazine's offices shortly, officials say

11.36am - The death toll is increased to 11 and then to 12.

11.46am - Paris is put on maximum alert following the attacks.

11.49am - Prime Minister David Cameron condemns the attack: 'The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press.'

11.54am - Mr Hollande, in an address near the scene of the massacre, says the shooting was 'undoubtedly a terrorist attack'. He adds: 'We fight threats and we will punish the attackers.'

11.59am - The first tweet is posted containing the hashtag £JeSuisCharlie in solidarity with the victims, the magazine and its supporters.

12.26pm - French officials confirm gunmen who carried out the attack are still at large. At least two criminals are believed to be involved.

12.38pm - The White House condemns Paris attack in the 'strongest possible terms'.

1.30pm - AFP says dead include three cartoonists and editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb.

2.13pm - French internal minister Bernard Cazeneuve says 'three criminals' were involved in the attack. They remain at large.  

Faces of the victims: Among the journalists killed were (l to r) Charlie Hebdo's deputy chief editor Bernard Maris and cartoonists Georges Wolinski, Jean Cabut, aka Cabu, Stephane Charbonnier, who is also editor-in-chief, and Bernard Verlhac, also known as Tignous

By midday, there were reports of up to 12 people dead and 10 wounded, four critically, including journalists, administrative staff, and police officers who attended the scene. 

President Francois Hollande described the bloodbath as a 'barbaric attack against France and against journalists' and vowed to hunt down those responsible.

As well as the AK47 assault rifles, there were also reports of a rocket-propelled grenade being used in the attack, which took place during the publication's weekly editorial meeting, meaning all the journalists would have been present.

A young mother and cartoonist who survived the massacre today told how she had let the suspected Al Qaeda killers into the office.

Corrine Rey said she had returned from picking up her young daughter from a kindergarten when she was confronted by two heavily armed men wearing balaclavas.

'I had gone to pick up my daughter at day care, arriving in front of the building, where two masked and armed men brutally threatened us,' said Ms Rey, who draws under the name 'Coco'.

'They said they wanted to go up to the offices, so I tapped in the code,' said Ms Rey, referring to the digi-code security system on the interphone.

Ms Rey and her daughter hid under a desk, from where they saw two other cartoonists being executed. 'They shot Wolinski and Cabu,' she said. 'It lasted five minutes. I had taken refuge under a desk.'

Ms Rey said the men 'spoke French perfectly' and 'claimed they were 'Al Qaeda terrorists'. 

Gunmen reportedly told another witness: 'You say to the media, it was Al Qaeda in Yemen.' 

They are said to have sought out staff 'by name', according to a police source, adding that Charbonnier, known as Charb, a cartoonist responsible for an anti-Islam front page, was among those killed. 

Mr Charbonnier was included in a 2013 Wanted Dead or Alive for Crimes Against Islam article published by Inspire, the terrorist propaganda magazine published by Al Qaeda.  

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