Three police officers are dead after at least six cops were shot dead this morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
A masked gunman was seen firing at cops. One suspect has been killed but two others may be at large, police said
Four police officers were injured and one is in a critical condition in hospital following the ambush at
First report of a man with an assault rifle came at 8.45 and minutes later cops radioed in: 'Shots fired, officer down!'
President Obama branded the shooting 'cowardly and reprehensible' while Donald Trump demanded 'law and order'
Shooting of Alton Sterling by police in Baton Rouge 12 days ago sparked outrage and wave of protests across U.S.
Gang of four - including boys aged just 12 and 13 - were arrested earlier this week after alleged plot to steal guns and kill cops in Baton Rouge
By Ollie Gillman and Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com
The man, who was wearing black, was seen firing indiscriminately at around 9am as he walked out between a shop and a car wash, a witness told WBRZ.
Police received a 911 call reporting a 'suspicious person walking down Airline Highway with an assault rifle', the source said. At least one gunman is said to have opened fire when cops arrived.
A suspect, from Missouri, has been shot dead and police say two others may be at large following what appears to have been an ambush.
Three officers have been confirmed dead. Four more have been injured and one is in a critical condition in hospital.
The shooting took place at a gas station less than a mile from Baton Rouge's police headquarters shortly before 9am.
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Baton Rouge Police Cpl. L'Jean Mckneely Jr. says the shooting took place outside and possibly inside the B-Quik convenience store on Airline Highway.
He says the suspect's body was found next door, outside of a fitness center.
According to the Advocate, an officer made a report over a police radio at around 8.45am saying that a 'lady who came up and said there was a suspect walking with a ... and an assault rifle out here behind the store'.
Two minutes later, another officer was heard shouting: 'Shots fired, officer down, shots fired, officer down!'
Another yelled: 'Got a city officer down, shots fired! Shots fired on Airline! I don’t know where he’s f***ing shooting from.'
It is not clear if any other officers were injured in the mass shooting.
Police officers were using a robot to inspect the dead suspect's body for explosives.
A spokeswoman for East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said the area remained an active but 'contained' scene. The Airline Highway has been shut down.
'Three law enforcement are confirmed dead, three others injured. One suspect is dead, law enforcement believes two others may be at large,' a statement on East Baton Rouge Police's Facebook page said.
Two of the dead are Baton Rouge police officers, while the third is a sheriff's deputy in East Baton Rouge, an official said. Their identities have not been released.
A video taken by a bystander at the scene captured the panic as gunshots rang out.
Another showed police officers brandishing rifles as they ran towards the scene.
'All we know at this time is that there was a shooting. We believe there were multiple suspects. one suspect is deceased. Multiple officers were shot. We do have some that were killed,' Baton Rouge Police Corporal L'Jean McKneely said.
He also appealed for help tracking down any remaining suspects. 'If they are wearing army fatigues, if they are wearing all black, if they are wearing a mask, if they are wearing anything that's out there, please, give us a call,' he added.
Two hospitals are on lockdown, with armed police officers guarding all entrances.
People living in nearby homes have been told to stay indoors.
There were also reports of a shooting at the Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge, but these turned out to be false.
President Obama has been briefed on the situation and has offered any assistance needed, the White House said.
In a statement, he said the slain police officers had been 'killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault'.
'These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilized society, and they have to stop,' Obama added.
'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. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes.'
Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump wrote on his Facebook page: '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.'
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said: ‘This is an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing.
‘Rest assured, every resource available to the State of Louisiana will be used to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.
‘For now, I’m asking all Louisianans to join Donna and me in praying for the officers who were involved and their families as the details continue to unfold.’
A spokesman for the governor said that he is at the hospital where the wounded police officers were taken after the shooting and is meeting with the officers and their families.
Police in Baton Rouge were on high alert earlier this week after a gang - including boys aged just 12 and 13 - were arrested as they tried to steal handguns as part of a 'substantial, credible threat' to harm police officers in Baton Rouge.
Authorities discovered the alleged plot while responding to a burglary at a pawn shop early on June 9.
They arrested one suspect - Antonio Thomas, 17 - at the scene with a handgun and a BB gun.
During questioning, Thomas said that he and three other suspects stole the firearms and 'were going to get bullets to shoot police,' authorities said.
On Tuesday, the chief also confirmed that Thomas told police that 'the reason the burglary was being done was to harm police officers'.
Malik Bridgewater, 20, was also arrested, as were two boys aged 12 and 13. The two named suspects are black.
The shooting comes 12 days after Sterling was shot dead outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge by two police officers.
Sterling was armed but his handgun was in his pocket and the footage does not appear to show him reaching for it.
His shooting on July 5 - and that of Philando Castile in St Paul, Minnesota, the next day - led to nationwide protests over the treatment of black people by the police.
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.
Authorities arrested about 200 people over the three-day weekend.
A peaceful Black Lives Matter protest days after Sterling's was hijacked by Micah Johnson, who used the demonstration as an opportunity to ambush police, killing five.
Dallas police chief David Brown led the messages of support to police in Baton Rouge following the shooting.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Baton Rouge Police,’ Brown said.
Reverend Al Sharpton added: ‘Praying for the families of the police officers shot in Baton Rouge as we await the full details.
‘This senseless violence really must stop.
