BREAKING: 3 officers dead, 2 injured in Baton Rouge, LA - Masked Gunmen!

 Summary:

• Three police officers were shot to death Sunday and three others wounded in Baton Rouge, the same city where Alton Sterling was killed two weeks ago, after they responded to a call of shots fired when they were attacked by at least one gunman, Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden said. The three officers had died in what he described as "an ambush-style deal."
• The gunman, who has been killed, has been identified as 29 year old, black male named Gavin Eugene Long of Kansas City, Missouri. CBS News reports the suspect gunned down three Baton Rouge police officers on his birthday. He was born July 17, 1987.
• According to CBS News, Long was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2010.
• Authorities initially believed that two other assailants might be at large, but hours later said the dead gunman was the only person who fired at the officers. However, a state police spokesman said investigators were unsure whether he had some kind of help from others. “We are not ready to say he acted alone,” Major Doug Cain said.
• President Barack Obama condemned the "attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge" and vowed that justice would be done. "We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: There is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one," Obama said in a statement.
• Sen. Bill Cassidy told CNN “there’s a war right now on police.”

A timeline of today's events:

• About 9 a.m.: Less than one mile from police headquarters, shots fired at police officers from the Baton Rouge Police Department and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. Five officers are rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. Three are dead on arrival, one is in serious condition and another in fair condition. One gunman is killed while two other possible suspects are at large. The scene of the shooting remains active as police continue their search of the area. State SWAT officers arrive, and a robot is sent in to scan for explosive devices.  A witness told television station WAFB that he saw a masked man in black shorts and shirt running from the scene where the three officers were killed.
• 12:06 p.m.: Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards tweets a statement calling the act "unspeakable" and "unjustified."
• 12:30 p.m.: Dallas police chief David Brown, whose department lost five officers last week in their own ambush of police, tweets support to Baton Rouge.

 Update 18: Hillary Clinton condemned the attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge. In a statement on Sunday afternoon the Democratic presidential nominee said, "There is no justification for violence, for hate, for attacks on men and women who put their lives on the line every day in service of our families and communities."

* * *Update 17: A spokesman for the Louisiana state police says they believe the gunman who killed three officers in Baton Rouge was the only shooter but that officials are unsure whether he had accomplices.Major Doug Cain said Sunday, "we are not ready to say he acted alone." Cain says two people had been detained in another town called Addis, which is near Baton Rouge, and called them "persons of interests."

* * *Update 16: Baton Rouge gunman identified as 29 year old, black male named Gavin Eugene Long of Kansas City, Missouri.

* *  *Update 15:   The governor of Louisiana says the attack on law enforcement in Baton Rouge was unjustified. Gov. John Bell Edwards told media Sunday afternoon that the gunman committed, "an absolutely unspeakable, heinous attack."  Edward says the hatred has got to stop.Three officers are confirmed dead in the attack outside a store in Baton Rouge about a mile from police headquarters early Sunday morning. Three others are injured. The gunman was fatally shot.Police added there is no active shooter in Baton Rouge where three police officers were killed Sunday morning. Col. Mike Edmonson told media, "We believe that the person who shot and killed our officers that he was the person that was shot and killed at the scene.

* * *Update 14 -  Attorney General Loretta Lynch, responding to the police shootings Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says there is no place in the United States for such appalling violence.In a statement issued Sunday, Lynch says she condemns the shooting deaths of three officers and the wounding of several others "in the strongest possible terms." She also is pledging the full support of the Justice Department as the investigation unfolds. The attorney general says Agents from the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are on the scene, and Justice Department will make available victim services and federal funding support, and provide investigative assistance to the fullest extent possible.Lynch says everyone's hearts and prayers are with the fallen and wounded officers, their families and the entire Baton Rouge community in "this extraordinarily difficult time."

* * *Update 13 - The White House releases a statement proclaiming "There is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None."*  *  *Update 12 - Confirmation of multiple suspects:

A sheriff's spokesman in Baton Rouge said earlier that one suspect is dead and two others are believed to be at large.

*  *  *Update 11 - Louisiana GOP delegation issues statement from Cleveland on BatonRouge: "We will stand united and prayerful against evil"

*  *  *Update 10 - Donald Trump responds to Baton Rouge police shootings... (via Facebook)

We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country? We demand law and order.

*  *  *Update 9 - It just got serious - President Obama has been made aware of the murders...

The White House says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and has asked to be updated throughout the day as more details become available. The White House has been in contact with local officials in Baton Rouge and offered any assistance necessary. Obama spent most of last week focused on trying to reduce tensions and helping build trust between police and the communities they serve.

It's not working!

*  *  *Update 8 - Police in Louisiana say they are using a specialized robot to check for explosives near the body of a suspect who was shot and killed in Baton Rouge early Sunday. 

 The suspect is believed to have been involved in the shooting of law enforcement officers in the Louisiana city early Sunday. Three officers are dead and three are hospitalized with injuries. The shooting occurred less than 1 mile from police headquarters

*  *  *Update 7 - Reports of shots fired at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge

*  *  *Update 6 - BATON ROUGE OFFICERS ARE IN AN ARMED STANDOFF WITH ONE OF THE SUSPECT via @pzf

* * *Update 5 - CBS adds that while 1 suspect is dead, 2 other suspects may still be at large. 

* * *Update 4 - the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's office reports that while the scene is still active, it is now "contained"View image on Twitter

FollowBreaking911 @Breaking911JUST IN: East Baton Rouge Sheriff: Scene 'Still Active, But Contained'http://breaking911.com/at-least-three-police-officers-shot-in-baton-rouge/ …11:19 AM - 17 Jul 2016
 7979 Retweets
 2222 likes

* * *Update 3 - BREAKING NEWS: BATON ROUGE POLICE CONFIRM THREE SHOOTERS INVOLVED. ONLY 1 DETAINED - BREAKING NEWS FEED

* * *Update 2 - AT LEAST 8 POLICE OFFICERS SHOT IN BATON ROUGE - WAFB

Update 1 - CNN is reporting Three officers are feared dead after a shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, officials said.Kip Holden, the mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish, said authorities were still trying to get a handle on the situation, but added, "The count is three officers dead possibly."The victims may include police officers and sheriff's deputies."There is still an active scene. They are investigating," he said. "Right now we are trying to get our arms around everything."

*  *  *As we detailed earlier, police have closed streets between Baton Rouge Police Headquarters and I-12 where at least three law enforcement officers have been shot. According to local media WBRZ,shots were fired around 9 a.m. Sunday morning kicking off a manhunt for the shooter or shooters. There is an active shooter situation in the area of Airline and Old Hammond Highways according to The Advocate. A police spokesperson was not ready to release specifics as of yet.Obviously, police-community relations in Baton Rouge have been especially tense since the killing of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man killed by white officers earlier this month after a scuffle at a convenience store.A witness told WBRZ News 2, a man was dressed in black with his face covered shooting indiscriminately when he walked out between a convenience store and car wash across from Hammond Air Plaza.“The scene seems to be contained right now,” said Sgt. Don Coppola, Baton Rouge Police Department. “We’re asking everyone to stay out of the area.”

* * *While we hope it is unrelated, it is notable that overnight WBRZ reported that Baton Rouge residents gathered Saturday afternoon to form the newest chapter of the New Black Panther Party.  The New Black Panthers arrived in Baton Rouge last Saturday to protest the officer-involved shooting death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling. Two videos of the shooting sparked national outcry and protests across Baton Rouge.

Jerald Justice said the group was approached by local residents like Edwin Smith to help establish a Baton Rouge chapter.  “It is time for new leadership and a new organization to step forward in Baton Rouge,” Smith said. “I feel like the New Black Panther Party is the organization that can bring new leadership to Baton Rouge.” Founders met Saturday to formally establish the chapter as well as gather names for new members. WBRZ News 2’s Earl Phelps was able to briefly attend the event on the condition that he does not reveal the meeting’s location. “With the help of the New Black Panther Party, these members should be able to handle any or everything in their city,” Justice said. Over the course of five days, authorities arrested 185 protesters in Baton Rouge. Friday, District Attorney Hillar Moore said that his office will not prosecute 100 protesters who were only charged with misdemeanor crimes. Justice said that the Black Panthers were involved in the protests, but none of their members were arrested or were carrying guns during the demonstrations.

* * *Live Feed:*  *  *SWAT now on scene... View image on Twitter

FollowBiko Misabiko @BikoTheGreatMultiple police ....on Air Line Hwy. Right now. #BatonRouge9:38 AM - 17 Jul 2016

SOURCE: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-17/manhunt-under-way-after-least-3-police-officers-shot-baton-rouge-live-feed