Updated at 2:10 p.m. on Aug. 20 to include statements from President Obama and Foley's parents.
Updated at 10:35 a.m. on Aug. 20 to include verification of Foley's identity from GlobalPost and a statement from Foley's mother, Diane Foley.
Updated at 11:13 p.m. on Aug. 19 to include a statement from Bradley Jay Hamm, dean of Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
James Foley, a freelance journalist and 2008 Medill alumnus being held captive, has reportedly been executed by militants from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, according to a video released Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the FBI informed Foley's family they believe the video to be authentic, according to a report from GlobalPost, for whom Foley was reporting at the time of his kidnapping.
The video, entitled “A Message to America” and since removed from Youtube, depicts an IS militant's execution of a man identified as Foley. The video characterized Foley’s execution as a response to U.S. bombing in Iraq. Another captive journalist who appeared in the video was identified by IS as freelancer Steven Joel Sotloff, who went missing on Aug. 4, 2013 while covering the Syrian Civil War.
Foley disappeared in Syria on Nov. 22, 2012 while covering the country’s civil war. Foley had been working for the website GlobalPost at the time of his disappearance. Though Foley’s exact whereabouts were unknown, GlobalPost announced last year that he was likely being held in a detention center in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
"We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of U.S. citizen James Foley," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement Tuesday. "The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity. If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We will provide more information when it is available."
Foley's family released a statement about his death Tuesday evening via the Free James Foley Facebook page.
"We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people," Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, said in the Facebook post. "We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person."
Foley's parents expanded on their statement on Wednesday with an hour-long press conference held in front of their home in Rochester, N.H. "He was a courageous, fearless journalist. The best of America," the Foleys said.
Bradley Jay Hamm, dean of Medill, issued a statement late Tuesday night in response to Foley's apparent execution. "Our Medill family is shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the murder of James Foley. He was a courageous reporter who risked his life repeatedly to seek the truth around the world," the statement read.
"Journalists face threats in many forms as they try to report difficult stories that need to be told, but the attack on Jim was barbaric. It was, in a larger sense, an attack on freedoms necessary in a civilized society and across strained cultures. Jim endures for us as a beacon reminding us of the risks implicit in shedding light where inhumanity can take hold. Our thoughts today are with Jim’s parents, Diane and John, and the entire Foley family and their friends. We ask that all Medill and Northwestern students, faculty, staff and alumni join us in remembrance of Jim Foley. The loss of such a distinguished alum affects us all."
President Obama also spoke from Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday, briefly memorializing Foley and offering condolences to his family. "Today, the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of Jim Foley by the terrorist group ISIL," Obama's remarks began. "Jim was a journalist, a son, a brother and a friend. He reported from difficult and dangerous places, bearing witness to the lives of people a world away."
The president also vowed to continue the fight against IS abroad. "The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people," Obama said. "We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done and we act against ISIL, standing alongside others."
Check back for updates.
Samuel Niiro contributed reporting to this story.