US President Barack Obama has released a statement on Wednesday’s deadly shooting attack on a French newspaper, after a White House spokesman condemned it in the “strongest possible terms,” AFP reports. 

“I strongly condemn the horrific shooting of the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people,” Obama said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack and with the people of France at this time.” 

Obama’s full statement is below: 

Earlier, the White House stated that it was reaching out to Paris to offer condolences and assistance. 

“Everybody here at the White House are with the families of those who were killed or injured in this attack,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, speaking on MSNBC.

“Senior officials at the White House have been in close touch with their counterparts in France this morning,” he stated, adding that “the United States stand ready to work closely with the French” to help them investigate the attack and apprehend the gunmen. 

Earlier Wednesday, a number of gunmen stormed the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris, killing twelve people and injuring at least ten others during a weekly staff meeting.

Among the dead are four cartoonists for the paper, which has published several cartoons featuring Islam’s prophet Mohammed – arousing the anger of Islamists. 

The gunmen, hooded and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, then made their way into getaway cars and are still at large. A manhunt in Paris is currently underway. 

Paris has stated Wednesday afternoon that this is the deadliest terror attack on French soil in fifty years.