Baton Rouge offi cers shot by ex-Marine with assault rifl e who is then shot dead

Three Baton Rouge, Louisiana,law enforcement offi - cers investigating a report of a man with an assault rifl e were

killed on Sunday, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police here in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide.

Three other officers were wounded, one critically. Police said the gunman was killed at the scene. Although he was

believed to be the only person who fi red at offi cers, authorities said they were unsure whether he had some kind

of help.

'We are not ready to say he acted alone,' state police spokesman Major Doug Cain said. Two persons of interest

were detained in the nearby town of Addis.

A witness described the gunman as wearing all black and carrying extra clips of ammunition. He was identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, said East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Holden.

The 29-year-old black man served in the Marines from 2005 to 2010, reaching the rank of sergeant. He deployed to Iraq from June 2008 to January 2009, according to military records.

Long was awarded several medals, including one for good conduct, and received an honorable discharge.His ccupational expertise was listed as 'data network specialist'.

The University of Alabama issued a statement saying that Long attended classes for one semester in the spring of 2012.A school spokesman said university police had no interactions with him.

In Kansas City, police offi - cers, some with guns drawn,converged on a house listed as Long's.

The shooting, which took place just before 9 am, less than a mile from police headquarters,came amid escalating

tensions across the country between the black community and police. Just days earlier, one of the slain offi cers

posted an emotional Facebook message about the challenges of police work in the current environment.

It was the fourth high-profile deadly encounter in the United States involving police over the past two weeks. In all,the violence has cost the lives of eight offi cers (fi ve in Dallas),including those in Baton Rouge, and two civilians and sparked a national debate over race and policing.

President Barack Obama urged Americans to tamp down inflammatory words and actions.

'We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies attacks on law enforcement,' Obama said in remarks from the White House.

'Everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further,' he said.