Three Police Officers Killed in Louisiana; Shooter's Identity Revealed

According to media reports from the United States, the identity of the assailant who killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been identified as 'Gavin Long,' a former U.S. Marine, including service in Iraq. Officials have not yet officially identified the assailant. Reuters, citing a source familiar with the investigation, reports that Long, 29, was from Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Star noted that the attack on the police officers occurred on the assailant's birthday. During the shooting on Sunday in Baton Rouge, in addition to the three police officers killed, at least three other officers were injured. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, described the attack in Louisiana as 'cowardly' and condemned it strongly. The Guardian reported that Gavin Long had posted threatening messages on social media criticizing police violence and behavior towards African Americans in the U.S. According to the newspaper, he urged African Americans to make 'sacrifices' for their race while also expressing support for the Dallas attack that resulted in the deaths of five police officers. Recent attacks on police in the U.S. have coincided with predominantly peaceful protests by citizens against police behavior towards African Americans. Baton Rouge itself has been one of the cities where a Black man was recently shot by police and lost his life. The shooting in Baton Rouge has intensified protests over the past two weeks. The Associated Press reports that police are still unsure whether Gavin Long acted alone or had accomplices. A spokesperson for the Baton Rouge police stated that two individuals have been arrested in Addis, a nearby town. The same news agency quoted an eyewitness saying the assailant was dressed entirely in black and was carrying several extra magazines of ammunition. The Wall Street Journal reported that Long, who is Black himself, had expressed solidarity with an anti-government group called 'New Freedom,' but Reuters states it is unclear whether he was a member of 'New Freedom.' According to published reports, Gavin Long served for five years in the United States Marine Corps and reached the rank of sergeant. He was deployed to Iraq between 2008 and 2009.