Standing by his side, and also distraught over the death of the three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers, was Sandra Sterling, Alton’s aunt.
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Around 200 people gathered Monday night at a church in Baton Rouge for a vigil for Matthew Gerald, one of the slain officers who was also a former soldier. Gerald had joined the police department just four months prior to the incident Sunday.
As the nation debates race and policing, this community is mourning three of its sons – all husbands and fathers described by friends as being committed to protecting and serving the public.
Long, a black military veteran whose last known address was in Kansas City, Missouri, spent five years in the Marine Corps. In it, Jackson described himself as “tired physically and emotionally”.
Police have not yet commented on the videos or indicated whether Long identified with black pride groups or followed the “Black Power” ideology. In this document, filed with the Jackson County Recorder of Deeds and first reported by the Kansas City Star, Long claimed his nationality was “Washitaw”.
Authorities say he stalked Baton Rouge police before ambushing a handful of them. Police said the gunman was killed at the scene. The motive of the shooting was not known but comes amid spiralling tensions across the city and the country between the black community and police amid the ambush on Dallas police officers where a sniper killed five officers. He was discharged at the rank of sergeant from the corp in 2010, after he serving in Iraq. The shooter appeared to have attacked police officers on his birthday, police said.
In the letter, Long said he expected people who knew him wouldn’t believe he would commit “such horrendous acts of violence”.
“The reason this letter has value is that we want and deserve to change the National Dialogue”, they said in the social media post.
“I feel so sorry and so hurt, and I see how this unfolded”, he said.
“With God’s help, we will get through this. Are our thoughts our own thoughts?”
Susan Stamper Brown Susan is a recovering political pundit from Alaska who does her best to make sense of current day events using her faith.
“I’m just numb. You just don’t think it would happen in our hometown”, Parent said, dabbing at tears. “It doesn’t make sense”. Even when some protest you, you protect them.
One of the ramblings posted on Long’s Twitter account on July 13 read: “At what point do you stand up so that your people don’t become the Native Americans”.
“I swear to God I love this city but I wonder if this city loves me”. I suppose Jesus was also a racist in that he died for all, regardless of skin color. I am not growing up.
“As we bind up our wounds, we must come together to ensure that those who try to divide us do not succeed”, Obama wrote.
“It’s protest with a objective”, Norman said. He doesn’t know words. “Fighting back and money, that’s all they care about”, Long said.
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He wasn’t interested in anyone without a badge, officials said. “What is nearly dream-like about all this”, Horad told the Times, “is that you never know what it could be that would push someone you know, like a neighbor, right over the edge”. “We’re just a veneer on the outside”, said the 49-year-old antiques collector from nearby Central. “But I can kind of understand”. “But we can’t take the violent approach or there’ll be dead bodies laying all over the place”.
