White House offers assistance in Louisiana police shootings; Trump demands 'law and order'

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Sen. Tom Cotton reacts to attacks on police officers

Arkansas senator discusses dangers facing law enforcement on 'America's News HQ'

President Obama has been briefed on the deadly shootings Sunday morning of three Louisiana police officers, and the White House said it is offering any assistance necessary to local authorities.

Three Baton Rouge officers were fatally shot and three others wounded in the attack, less than a mile from police headquarters. Police are checking for explosives near where one suspect was killed.

“It’s just an awful tragedy,” Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves told Fox News.

He also said that the people in his district “have the deepest respect for police officers and they, like other Americans, are very concerned” about recent attacks on police officers, including five killed July 7 in Dallas by a sniper.

The shooter, Micah Johnson, who was killed by authorities in a standoff, apparently acted in retaliation for two cases in which black men were shot and killed by police officers in Minnesota and Baton Rouge, respectively.

Graves said he has worked across the aisle on Capitol Hill to stop such tragedies and will continue to make such efforts.

“We really have to come together as a country,” he said.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who now calls himself “the law and order candidate," said on Twitter: “We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to die because of a lack of leadership in our country? We demand law and order.”

The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, North Carolina Democratic Rep. G. K. Butterfield, said the group offers its “deepest sympathies” to the families of the officers killed and injured.

“Tensions are high in our country, but violence does not lead to justice and targeting law enforcement does not bring about solutions,” he also said. “The CBC continues to call for peace and we stand by state and federal officials as they investigate to find the individuals responsible for today’s horrific event.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told Fox News: “Our country feels the loss. We grieve on so many levels, beginning with the families.”

"I have the utmost respect and gratitude for what our police officers do," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News, urging elected officials to support police officers.

Obama last week attended a memorial service for Dallas police officers and led a nearly four-hour meeting featuring dozens of leaders from police organizations, community activists and elected officials.

He also spoke by telephone to the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the men shot in Baton Rouge and suburban St. Paul, Minn.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.