A gunman killed three police officers early Sunday morning, as law enforcement responded to report of a man carrying weapons in an area of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The details of what is said to be a melee were sketchy and there was no confirmation until Sunday evening about what motivated gunman Gavin Long, a retired Iraq war veteran. Sunday was his 29th birthday, according to reports. He was killed at the scene.
The shootings ratcheted up concerns across the nation, as they follow closely ambush style killings of five policemen in Dallas Texas, and before that police killing of two African-Americans earlier this month.
Political leaders and local government leaders called for end to violence and divisive rhetoric. According to CNN and The New York Times, Long was an African-American from Kansas City, Missouri.
“The violence, the hatred, just has to stop,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day.
“And we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.”
He sympathized with grieving families.
“Most of all, our hearts go out to the families who are grieving. Our prayers go out to the officer who is still fighting for his life. This has happened far too often.”
He also touched the sensitive issue of the state of race issues.
“We have our divisions, and they are not new. Around-the-clock news cycles and social media sometimes amplify these divisions, and I know we’re about to enter a couple of weeks of conventions where our political rhetoric tends to be more overheated than usual.
“And that is why it is so important that everyone — regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organizations you are a part of — everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further.
“We don’t need inflammatory rhetoric. We don’t need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda. We need to temper our words and open our hearts — all of us. We need what we saw in Dallas this week, as a community came together to restore order and deepen unity and understanding. We need the kind of efforts we saw this week in meetings between community leaders and police — some of which I participated in — where I saw people of good will pledge to work together to reduce violence throughout all of our communities.”
