Louisiana State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson said it is believed that Long was a single shooter that acted alone.
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He was a former Marine and Black Hawk crew chief in the Army who “lived to be a patriot”, his friend Nick Lambert said. Over the weekend, thousands of people took to the streets in Baton Rouge to condemn Sterling’s death, including hundreds of demonstrators who congregated outside the police station. His death, partly captured on video, sparked intense protests in the city and nationwide, and the Justice Department is investigating.
Jackson had posted on Facebook on July 8 how physically and emotionally drained he had been since protests had erupted in Baton Rouge after the July 5 killing of the unarmed African-American man, Alton Sterling by police.
The man who killed two police officers and a sheriff’s deputy in Baton Rouge Sunday was a former Marine sergeant who served in Iraq and had no known ties to any extremist groups. Long said, according to a video posted online. “No. I’m affiliated with the spirit of justice”. “I’m hit, left arm, argh”, a male officer says.
Louisiana Governer John Bel Edwards also condemned the shooting, saying in a statement that shooting was “an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing”.
“Everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further”, he added, as the USA begins two weeks of political conventions with Republicans meeting in Cleveland later on Monday.
“We should always have a heightened alert”, he said.
Witnesses reported a man firing indiscriminately. But there are reports that one suspect was killed and possibly two more others were being sought by the police. Spokeswoman Ashley Mendoza said the hospital received five patients from the police shooting, all “law enforcement professionals”. He said the gunman was dressed all in black.
A suspect was shot and killed, with a suspicion that two others may have been at large, but hours later police said that no other active shooters were in the city.
The reports come a week after a wave of protests against police violence in Baton Rouge and other cities after a 37-year-old African-American father of five was shot and killed at close quarters by law enforcement officers. All three were married and had family. Long graduated in 2005 from Grandview High School, according to The Kansas City Star.
His awards included a Good Conduct Medal among others. This city MUST and WILL get better.
A journalist for the Kansas City Star who sent to the address earlier on Sunday was met by a man with a long gun who declined to comment, the newspaper says. On the day of the attack he reportedly turned 29, CBS News reported. Blacks made up about 55% of Baton Rouge’s population in 2010, according to USA government data.
Police had earlier told reporters authorities were seeking more than one person. He said there were no firm numbers on the number hurt or the extent of injuries.
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The shooting took place at 9am local time, just one mile away from police headquarters in the area of Airline and Old Hammond highways.
