INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Baton Rouge Gunman Identified As Ex-Marine

By Tylie Eaves
Published on: 15:55 PST, Jul 17, 2016

Three police officers are dead and three more are being treated for serious injuries resulting from a shoot out in Baton Rouge, Louisiana earlier today. Originally, officials believed that multiple shooters were involved in the attack, but it has now been confirmed that there was a single, lone shooter. The shooter responsible for the tragic assault on police has been identified as former U.S. Marine sergeant, Gavin Long.

According to a Thomson Reuters report, a government source with inside knowledge of the investigation confirmed that Gavin Eugene Long was a 29-year-old military veteran from Kansas City Missouri. An additional source told reporters that Long was divorced and lived in a “working class” neighborhood. Missouri State records have revealed that he had no criminal history prior to today’s attack.

As of now, there’s no clear information as to the reason that Gavin Long traveled to Louisiana. However, there is some speculation that he may have traveled to Baton Rouge because the city has become a hot spot for protests following the shooting of Alton Sterling in early July. Long, who was African-American, was killed during the incident by police who were dispatched to the scene earlier today. Today was his 29th birthday.

Gavin Long had an exemplary military background and served the country in Iraq. He was also considers to be a good student, having made the dean’s list during his time in college. Though Long was known for having a decorated military career, there has been media speculation that he was also linked to the anti-government New Freedom Group.

Records that were provided to reporters by the United States Marines indicate that Long received a number of awards during his time in the military. A report by CBS News stated that he the left the Marines with an honorable discharge, but the deputy public affairs officer for the U.S. Marines, Yvonne Carlock, would not confirm that report.

An investigation into Long’s life revealed that a website, several social media accounts and a YouTube channel have all been linked to him. Each of those web-based outlets contained complaints about police abuse of African-Americans. Also in that web presence, Long admitted that he had joined the demonstrations in Dallas, where a few days after Alton Sterling’s death an African-American former member of the United States Army Reserve had murdered five police officers.

On Wednesday, Long posted a tweet that read,”Violence is not THE answer (its a answer), but at what point do you stand up so that your people don’t become the Native Americans… EXTINCT?”

Officials believe that Gavin Long owned a website called “convoswithcosmo.” Police currently have the area of the address linked to that website cordoned off. Court records indicate that Gavin Long was named in two separate civil cases. The host of “Convos with Cosmos” posted a YouTube video on July 10 in which he revealed that he had traveled to Dallas to join protests. In the video the host says that African-Americans are oppressed. He goes on to say that violence and financial pressure are the only two ways to cause change. He stated, “We know what it’s going to take. It’s only fighting back or money. That’s all they care about,” he says to the camera. “Revenue and blood, revenue and blood, revenue and blood. Nothing else.”

The details of this story are still coming to light. Undoubtedly, the police and other government authorities will thoroughly investigate Gavin Long and his possible motives within the coming weeks. As of now, no relatives for Long have spoken publicly about the attack and America watches with bated breath to see how the case will unfold. Stay tuned to the Inquisitr for more information on this and other breaking news stories.

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