Update: Obama Says Motive For Baton Rouge Shooter Unknown, 3 Officers Dead

Update: A law enforcement official has identified the shooter as Gavin Long, reports The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing police investigation. There were no other details given about the shooter. His motive is still unknown. Meanwhile, a Lousiana state police spokesman told The AP that they believe the gunman who killed three officers was the only shooter, however, officials are unsure whether he had any accomplices. "We are not ready to say he acted alone," Major Doug Cain told The AP. Police confirmed that two people had been detained as "persons of interest."

Update July 17, 2016, 10:35p.m.: President Obama spoke after the deadly police shooting in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, renewing his call for peace and saying "nothing justifies attacks on police officers."

The president confirmed that he spoke with the attorney general and that the FBI has been on the scene in Baton Rouge, LA. However, he noted, "As of right now, we don’t know the motive of the killer. We don’t know whether the killer set out to kill police officers..." He finished his speech, calling for an end to divisive rhetoric and instead to seek unity going into the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. "Everyone, right now, focus on words and actions that can unite this country...we need to temper our words and open our hearts," he said. Just after the president gave his remarks, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton released a statement about the shooting. Clinton called the shooting "devastating" and mirrored the president in a call for unity and peace. "We must not turn our backs on each other. We must not be indifferent to each other. We must all stand together to reject violence and strengthen our communities," she said in the statement.

Update July 17, 2016, 9:35 p.m.: Authorities have confirmed that there is “not an active shooter scenario in Baton Rouge" and suggested that the lone suspect in Sunday's deadly police shooting was killed at the scene during a press conference Sunday afternoon. Colonel Mike Edmonson, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, spoke to reporters on Sunday afternoon. He told reporters that there was an "active ongoing investigation" that included "a very large crime scene." Residents were cautioned to stay clear of the area and to report any suspicious activity, adding that if they don't know their local police number, they should call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Colonel Edmonson added, "We do believe...the person that shot and killed our officers is the person shot and killed at the scene," ending the search for other possible suspects involved in the shooting. Authorities confirmed that three officers had been killed and three were injured; one officer remains in critical condition, while the other two officers' injuries are non-life-threatening. According to police, dispatch received a call that a man was walking in the area, carrying a rifle. Louisiana is an open carry state. The individual was reportedly wearing all-black fatigues. The suspect was later killed at the scene. Officers did not give additional information on the shooter or a possible motive. During the press conference, Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden spoke on CNN. He said that the city must come together after the shooting.

Update July 17, 2016, 8:10p.m.: President Obama released a statement on Sunday condemning the shooting death of three Baton Rouge police officers. The president said “there is no justification for violence against law enforcement.” He added, "These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilised society, and they have to stop.” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump also condemned the shooting, but blamed it on a "lack of leadership." "We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today," he said in a statement posted on Facebook. "How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country? We demand law and order." He also took to Twitter, saying, in part, "We are TRYING to fight ISIS, and now our own people are killing our police."

Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson — who was arrested while protesting in Baton Rouge last week — spoke to The New York Times via phone. He said, "The movement began as a call to end violence. That call remains."

Update: Police are now searching for explosives at the scene, reports The Associated Press. Police confirmed to The AP that they are using a specialised robot to check for explosives near the body of the suspect who was shot and killed on Sunday. Baton Rouge Police Corporal L'Jean Mckneely Jr. told The AP that authorities do not have an immediate indication that explosives are present.

Update July 17, 2016, 5:45p.m : Three officers are dead and three others have been injured after an ambush shooting on Sunday morning, said the mayor of Baton Rouge and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. At least one suspect is dead, but law-enforcement officials believe that two others may still be at large, the sheriff's office said in a statement posted online and at a press conference. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards called the shooting "an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing" in a statement posted to Twitter.

This story was originally published July 17, 2016, 5:05 p.m.

According to local police, several officers in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, have been shot while on duty, reports The Associated Press. Police were responding to a shooting near the Baton Rouge Police headquarters on Sunday. According to The AP, Baton Rouge Police Sergeant Don Coppola did not know the extent of the injuries and did not confirm the number of officers that had been injured.

The New York Times is reporting that as many as three officers are severely wounded after the encounter. Baton Rouge has been the centre of protests since white officers shot and killed Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man, on the 5th of July. The shooting was captured on camera and went viral. Protests have been held along Airline Highway, which runs in front of the Baton Rouge police headquarters. Last weekend, hundreds of protesters were arrested. This weekend, protesters resumed demonstrations over Sterling's death.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.