Baton Rouge shooter identified as Gavin Long, 29

The gunman who allegedly shot and killed three Baton Rouge police officers on Sunday was identified as Gavin Long, 29, a Kansas City resident, according to two federal law enforcement sources. A Pentagon official confirmed that Long is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq in 2008.

After opening fire on police, Long was killed at the scene. The attack occurred on his 29th birthday.

Long, an African-American, is from the Kansas City area, but does not appear to have family links to Baton Rouge, according to a federal law enforcement source who is not authorized to speak publicly. Investigators are looking at Long’s possible links to black separatists groups, the source said.

Police believe that Long may have been in a rental car that had been stolen five or six days ago in a Midwestern state, according to the source.

Pentagon officials said Long was a data network specialist in the Marines, where he held the rank of sergeant. He served an 8-month tour of Iraq, beginning in the summer of 2008.