An ex-Marine turned self-touted life coach who ranted about government conspiracies in Youtube videos and shared extremist beliefs on social media has been identified as the gunman who killed three police officers and wounded three others in Baton Rouge. His tweets were disturbing.
Just bc you wake up every morning doesn't mean that you're living. And just bc you shed your physical body doesn't mean that you're dead.— Convos With Cosmo (@ConvosWithCosmo) July 17, 2016
Gavin Eugene Long opened fire on officers Sunday morning in Louisiana on his 29th birthday, just days after posting videos online saying people needed to “fight back” after recent killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, police sources told multiple news outlets, NBC News.
Long, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, was shot dead at the scene of the shooting, CBS News reports.
He used the name Cosmo Setepenra online and as his pen name for his self-published books. He discussed the Dallas attack on police officers and recent police shootings of black men in social media posts.
“Violence is not THE answer (its a answer), but at what point do you stand up so that your people dont become the Native Americans…EXTINCT?,” he wrote on Twitter on July 13.
Police have not officially confirmed Long’s identity, but State Police Colonel Mike Edmondson said they believe the gunman killed by officers at the scene was the lone attacker. Edmondson said they are still working to determine if he had any help from co-conspirators and asked anyone with information or anyone who sees something suspicious to contact police.
The state police are leading the ongoing investigation.
The three slain officers have been identified as Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola.
Here’s what we know so far about Long and the shooting: READ HERE
