7 officers shot in Baton Rouge, 3 feared dead

Several officers have been shot in Baton Rouge Sunday morning while on duty less than a mile from police headquarters, police said. CNN reports that sources say seven officers were shot, at least three are feared dead.

CNN reports that “The situation is contained,” probably meaning that the suspect is not at large. The shooting happened early just before 9 a.m., less than 1 mile from police headquarters.

Before the full extent of the shooting was known, the AP reported that “Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Coppola, speaking on local television station WAFB, did not know the extent of the injuries or give the precise number of officers injured. He said they were rushed to a local hospital. Coppola said authorities are asking people to stay away from the area.”

According to CNN, “Police received a call of ‘suspicious person walking down Airline Highway with an assault rifle,’ a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN. When police arrived, the man opened fire.

An Associated Press reporter on the scene saw police vehicles with lights flashing massed about a half mile from the police headquarters on Airline Highway. Police armed with long guns on the road stopped at least two vehicles driving away from the scene and checked their trunks and vehicles before allowing them to drive away.

CNN reported, “The remaining officers are hospitalized in critical condition, the source said.

“The victims were from Baton Rouge Police Department as well as East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, another official said.”

Watch Gayly.com for news on this story as it develops.

An AP story by Mike Kunzelman, Associated Press contributed to this coverage.

The Gayly – July 17, 2016 @ 11:20 a.m.