Sigolene Vinson, a freelance journalist who was working in the Charlie Hebdo office when it was attacked on Wednesday, told Radio France Internationale that her gender saved her life.
Vinson said that one of the gunmen yelled to his partner, "We don't shoot women!" during the attack. He apparently said to Vinson, "I will not kill you, because you are a woman, and you cannot kill women, but you have to convert to Islam and read the Koran."
By Vinson's account, the attacker placed a gun to her head but then changed his mind.
Two hostage situations are unfolding in Paris, and they may be connected to Wednesday's attack.