© 2026 ABC News

Donald Trump tweeted his condolences for the fallen officers while reiterating his call for \"law and order.\"

We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to...https://t.co/pPNrzG8kEa

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 17, 2016

Police on High Alert

Police in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans are on high alert.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden told ABC News this morning that police agencies across the country \"should be on alert\" and urged citizens to be vocal about their support for law enforcement.

\"Tell people in law enforcement and others that you love them every day,\" Holden said on \"GMA\" this morning. \"Unfortunately, yesterday I had the bad experience of going into a hospital room and seeing the child of one of the officers that was slain. And that little girl said this: 'I know my daddy is not dead. My daddy is going to come home tonight.' That young girl, seeing what she said, and your heart basically in your hands and all kinds of emotions going through your stomach.

\"Make sure we embrace [police]. Let them know we love them. Let them know we appreciate what they are doing,\" Holden added.

Agencies across the country have noted an uptick in violent speech targeting law enforcement in the wake of the recent shootings. In a notice issued more than a week prior to Sunday's attack in Baton Rouge, the FBI cited social media posts calling for a \"purge\" of cops in that city.

The warning, issued by the FBI's New Orleans field office on July 7, mentioned \"threats to law enforcement and potential threats to the safety of the general public\" stemming from the July 5 shooting of Sterling.

ABC News’ Mike Levine and Jack Date contributed to this story

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/investigators-scour-baton-rouge-gunmans-social-media-motive/story?id=40657759","legacySlug":"/news/story/investigators-scour-baton-rouge-gunmans-social-media-motive-40657759","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"13:32","publishDate":"07-18-2016","updatedTime":"15:45","updatedDate":"07-18-2016","socialImage":{"alt":"Baton Rouge gunman Gavin Long is seen in a photo from his website.","credit":"Gavin Long/ConvosWithCosmo","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/HT_GavinLongSmile_BM_20160718_16x9_992.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"7/18/2016 13:32:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":40657759,"headline":"Investigators Scour Gunman's Social Media for Motive","mediaAssetTitle":"MCBRIDE_BatonRouge_Shooter_20160718","description":"Gavin Long went by the pseudonym Cosmo Setepenra on his social media accounts.","duration":"2:09","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/07/160718_gma_brian_ross_709_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Investigators Scour Gunman's Social Media for Motive","description":"Gavin Long went by the pseudonym Cosmo Setepenra on his social media accounts.","duration":"2:09","uploadDate":"07-18-2016","publication":"07-18-2016","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/07/160718_gma_brian_ross_709_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2016/07/160718_gma_brian_ross_709_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/investigators-scour-baton-rouge-gunmans-social-media-motive-40657759"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Investigators Scour Gunman's Social Media for Motive","pubTime":"09:32","pubDate":"07-18-2016","modTime":"11:45","modDate":"07-18-2016","taxonomyTags":"none","id":40657759,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Investigators Scour Gunman's Social Media for Motive","mediaAssetTitle":"MCBRIDE_BatonRouge_Shooter_20160718","videoId":40657759,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/investigators-scour-baton-rouge-gunmans-social-media-motive-40657759"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/40657759","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/40657759","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};