Dallas Police Confirms 5 Officers Dead, 12 Shot During Protest

Twelve police officers were shot and five were killed by sniper fire on Thursday night in Dallas, Texas, during a rally in honor of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

On Friday morning, Police said that one of the suspects in the shooting had died of a bomb detonated by police robot. An additional three suspects are still in custody.

Before the shooting, the scene in Dallas was extremely calm, with Dallas police officers posing for photos with people who were in attendance.

In a statement released on Friday morning, The Black Lives Matter Network cautioned that Thursday night's events should not be used to stop discourse about police brutality:

In Dallas, many gathered to do the same, joining in a day of action with friends, family, and co-workers. Their efforts were cut short when a lone gunman targeted and attacked 11 police officers, killing five. This is a tragedy–both for those who have been impacted by yesterday’s attack and for our democracy. There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this.

This post will be continually updated with information becomes available.