US Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Friday was weighing whether to launch the first-ever federal hate crimes investigation into a cop-killing following the massacre of five officers in Dallas, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Lynch revealed her intention to open the probe behind the scenes shortly before addressing the country about the attack because it was widely believed that there were multiple suspects at the time, the source said

Several hours later, Lynch “hedged” on launching the investigation as t he Dallas attack appeared to be the work of lone shooter Micah Johnson, who is dead, the source said.

Johnson, who is black and told cops he wanted to kill white officers, was taken out by a police robot that exploded during a standoff.

The DOJ shelved its plans for a probe, the source said, but met with the National Fraternal Order of Police for 45 minutes to discuss expanding the federal hate crimes law to protect police officers, the source said.

“This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss,” Lynch said in her national address. “After the events of this week, Americans across the country are feeling a sense of helplessness, and uncertainty and of fear,” referring to the police involved shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.

“But,” she added, “the answer must not be violence. The answer is never violence.”

Lynch also called for equal justice for all Americans and stricter gun control laws.

“We must take a hard look at the ease with which wrongdoers can get their hands on deadly weapons and the frequency with which they use them, Lynch said.

Lynch, speaking from a lectern at the Justice Department, spoke of her own heartbreak over the killings.

“To the families of all who lost their lives in this series of tragedies, we share your pain and your loss,” she said. “To our brothers and sisters who wear the badge: I want you to know that I am deeply grateful for the difficult and dangerous work you do every day to keep our streets safe and our nations secure,” she added, “I am heartbroken at this loss.”

A DOJ spokesperson said in a statement, “The Department of Justice – including the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office – is working closely with our state and local counterparts, and we intend to provide any assistance we can to investigate this attack.”