Two people were injured in a knife attack that took place near the former office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.
Authorities said an attack took place just before noon on Friday as a trial is taking place over the 2015 attack on the paper. French Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed a “serious event” had taken place while cutting a public event short to attend to the matter.
“An attack with a bladed weapon was carried out in the 11th arrondissement in front of the former offices of Charlie Hebdo,” Castex said.
Police had originally reported that four were injured in the attack, but they clarified later in the day that only two were injured. One suspect was located after the attack and arrested.
The two victims were employees of Premieres Lignes, a documentary film company. The company was located next to Charlie Hebdo during the shooting in 2015 when Islamist attackers killed 12 people.
Paul Moreira, who works for Premieres Lignes, told BFM TV that the attacker used “kind of meat cleaver” and called the incident “chilling.” Another witness said that a victim appeared to have a significant head wound.
Francois Vauglin, the mayor of Paris’s 11th arrondissement, ordered schools to go into lockdown for the remainder of the day.
Al Qaeda recently renewed their calls for violence against Charlie Hebdo and any media group that negatively portrays the Prophet Muhammad.
