Violence erupted on the streets of Baton Rouge after a gunman opened fire on police officers. According to reports by WBRZ, the shooting occurred after a man with his face covered and dressed in all-black emerged from a car wash near the Hammond Air Plaza on Old Hammond Highway.
Witnesses told authorities that at least 35 to 30 gunshots were fired shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. During the shootings at least three officers died and four others were wounded. Although details care counting to emerge, witnesses have suggested that the shooting was not an ambush on police officers.
Since Alton Sterling was murdered by police officers several weeks ago, tensions have been high in Baton Rouge. Protests and marches have taken place in the city, but most have remained non-violent.
Initially, some on social media suspected that the shootings of the Baton Rouge officers was in retaliation of police who have murdered non-threatening Black men. Some even suggested that it was a copycat who wanted to duplicate the Dallas police shooting that took place days after the murders of Philando Castille and Sterling.
But early reports by witnesses reveal that the Baton Rouge shooting started with several people shooting at each other. At some point, police officers arrived on the scene and were wounded and killed during the shooting. Police shot one suspect and were able to get the situation under control an hour after initial shots were fired.
