
The man who shot 12 police officers, killing five, at a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas on Thursday night has been named as Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old Army reservist with no criminal history or ties to terror groups.

Johnson, from Mesquite, Texas, a 20-minute drive from Dallas, reportedly told law enforcement that he was a veteran, and claimed to have acted alone, countering initial reports that as many as four gunmen were involved in the massacre.

'The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings of black suspects. He said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,' Dallas Police Chief David Brown revealed at a 7.30am press conference.

Cops cornered Johnson at El Centro College at around 11pm on Thursday and attempted to negotiate, but four hours later the talks failed and a robot was brought in to detonate a bomb and kill the suspect. This was after shots had rung out at a previously peaceful protest in downtown Dallas with demonstrators screaming and running for their lives as cops dropped dead one by one.

Johnson wore body armor, which would suggest why a cop was not able to kill him when he confronted him in a one-on-one situation which was caught on camera. It resulted in the cop being executed. He also carried an AR-15 assault rifle and a handgun, and several rounds of ammunition.

During a search of his home, detectives found bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics.

A black SUV found at the scene of the shootings was listed as registered to Delphene Johnson, also of Mesquite, who is understood to be his mother. Police gathered at the address of Ms Johnson on Friday and were seen searching the property.

The casualties include Dallas police officers Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens and Michael J. Smith, as well as DART Officer Brent Thompson.

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Shooter: Micah Johnson, 25, from Mesquite, has been identified as the man who shot 12 police officers, killing five, before being killed by a robotic bomb detonated by police after a four hour standoff; pictured right is Johnson with Professor Griff of Public Enemy

A relative of Johnson posted these pictures of him in his Army formal attire and fatigues to Facebook in 2014. A source said Johnson was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve

After Johnson's name was released, his sister wrote a post on Facebook asking for 'respect for my family'

Micah Johnson (right) pictured with his brother Tevin (left) and sister Nicole (center)

Johnson appears to have lived with his mother Delphene (left), since police were conducting a major search at the property on Friday. Johnson's father James (right) remarried Dallas teacher Donna (center)

Johmnson carried an AR-15 assault rifle (similar model pictured above) and a handgun during the shooting

During a search of his home, detectives found bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics. Officials are picture carrying evidence from the home on Friday afternoon

Two other suspects were taken into custody after fleeing the scene in a black Mercedes. An officer saw one of the pair hurriedly putting a camouflage bag in the back of the car before driving off 'at a high rate of speed'. A female, who was in the same area as Johnson, was also taken custody, however Chief Brown said: 'We still don't have complete comfort that we have all the suspects.'

Johnson reportedly fired from an 'elevated position', picking off officers 'ambush style,' Chief Brown said, suggesting that the shooter had some tactical background. 'Some officers were shot in the back,' he added.

Army officials said Johnson was a soldier in the reserves and had served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. His military occupational specialty was carpentry and masonry. His service dates, as provided by the Army, were March 2009 to April 2015. The Army says Johnson deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013 and returned in July 2014. During his service, he was awarded the Army Achievement Medal.

Pictures on Facebook suggest that Johnson's father, James, was also in the military. While he professed a hatred for white people in his last words to a hostage negotiator, it appears his step-mother was white. Donna Ferrier Johnson, a teacher for Dallas schools, proudly shared pictures of her step-son in uniform to her page before the shooting.

Nevertheless, Johnson's activity online suggest he became interested with black militant groups. On Facebook, he identified himself as a black nationalist, and his profile picture shows him wearing a dashiki and holding a clenched first in the air like a Black Panther.

Army officials say Johnson was in the reserves from March 2009 to April 2015 and that he serve a tour of duty in Afghanistan

Writing on a page called Black Panther Mississippi on July 2, he denounced lynching and violence towards black people.

'Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings,' he wrote.

He expressed anger over lynchings of black people and 'our ancestors' being beaten, mutilated and killed.

'Then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person,' he wrote.

'They even go to our homeland and shoot our endangered wildlife for sport.'

Johnson 'liked' pages related to the Nation of Islam, the Black Riders Liberation Party, the New Black Panther Party and the African American Defense League.

The African American Defense League posted a message on its page on Wednesday calling on its members to kill police officers.

'The Pig has shot and killed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,' the message said.

'You and I know what we must do and I don't mean marching, making a lot of noise, or attending conventions. We must 'Rally The Troops!' It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood!

'Louisiana Revolutionaries You are being called out! Make ready and we shall come as thieves in the night!'

He used to attend a gym called Academy of Combat Warrior Acts, which teaches weapons classes in addition to the traditional martial arts selection, according to theDaily Beast.

Gym CEO Justin Everman spoke out to the Daily Beast, saying many of the gym's members are police officers and 'we have completely no affiliation with [Johnson] whatsoever.'

A man who served in the same platoon as Johnson in Afghanistan said he changed after he returned from the war zone.

'When he came back from Afghanistan, he got in touch with some bad folks and went all Black Panther,' the man, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News.

'He did have some anger issues but never said he would hurt anyone. His shots were terrible.

'He was absolutely normal, a really good friend. We lost touch once he deployed to Afghanistan and I stayed back. I don't really know how or why it got to the point it did.'

However, other sources described Johnson as 'a loner', police said.

The casualties include Dallas police officers Patrick Zamarripa (center), Michael Krol (right), Lorne Ahrens and Michael J. Smith, as well as DART Officer Brent Thompson (left)

Fallen Dallas, Texas police officer Lorne Ahrens pictured on the left. On the right, murdered Dallas officer Michael J Smith

A woman who lived on the same street in Mesquite, Texas, said that Johnson told them that he had 'lots of guns' and that she thought he had served overseas.

When his rifles were stolen eight months ago he became 'very upset', she said.

The woman, who declined to give her name, said: 'About eight months ago he knocked on all the doors on the street and said that his rifles had been stolen from his home.

'He wanted to know if anyone had seen the thieves going down the alley at the back of his house. He thought it happened about 3am.

'I know he had lots of guns because that's what he told us. He seemed like a nice guy to us, he was polite. He was very upset about his guns.'

Neighbors said that Johnson lives in two-story home on a quiet suburban street, which is opposite a large field, with his mother and had been there for years.

Johnson, pictured as a child, took a turn after he returned from serving in Afghanistan, a soldier who was in his platoon said

Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms took evidence boxes out of the house and a police car blocked off the street. As well as the rifles and ammunition, research of his Facebook page has found that he followed Richard Griffin, aka Professor Griff from the hip-hop group Public Enemy, who embraces a radical form of Afrocentrism and has written a book called A Warriors Tapestry.

Unlike their murdering cop-hating son, the father and stepmother of Johnson were revealed to be police supporters today.

James and Donna Johnson are enthusiastic participants in a neighborhood watch scheme which works alongside police officers.

The Johnsons, who live in a detatched house in a leafy Dallas suburb, are well liked in the residential area where more than 80 per cent of people own their homes.

Their next door neighbor Samantha Villa said was shocked to learn the Johnson's were family to the cop killer.

'They seem nice people and always say "hi". I don't know much about them as I've only lived here for about a month.

'But on July 4 I spoke with them to tell them there would be a few extra cars on the street with family and friends visiting and they said it would not be a problem.'

A woman who appeared to be Johnson's mother emerged at one point and asked police to keep reporters from knocking on her door.

Neighbor Jowanda Alexander, 36, a mother of four, said that Johnson was 'not an angry guy'.

She said that six months back he knocked on her door because one of their daughters and her friends were playing around with his mailbox on her way home from school.

She said: 'He was very friendly and if anything he seemed to be nervous. He just wanted to know what was going on. He didn't want any trouble - he came in peace'

A friend of Johnson's also spoke out to say that the Johnson he knew 'wasn't really political'.

Israel Cooper says Johnson 'wasn't one of those, 'ah man, white cops, blacks cops, you know' kind of people.

Cooper says he played basketball with Johnson dozens of times near Johnson's suburban Dallas house. He says the last time he saw Johnson was a about week ago and that Johnson was 'cool' with a 'good vibe.'

Cooper says when he heard Johnson was a suspect he couldn't believe it because Johnson wasn't 'a violent or rough dude.'

Johnson wasn't the only person in his family to have developed a distrust for law enforcement. In the days leading up to the shooting, his sister Nicole wrote several posts about her frustration at the tense relationship between police and the African-American community.

She said police officers needed 'to get a taste of the life we now fear'.

Writing on Facebook, she said: 'Tired of y’all tryin to be on these cops side making it okay based off irrelevant info when our own get killed over unjust s***.'

'Man on life itself I'm beginning to trust law less n less. Come a yr from now everybody will need a gun for protection. Why is it the black get the harsh treatment like damn. Makes me so mad. When he decide we had enough n fight back smhh...' she wrote on July 6, responding to the death of Alton Sterling.

After the shooting however, she expressed utter shock at her brother's actions.

'I keep saying it’s not true,' she wrote on Facebook on Friday. 'My eyes hurt from crying. Y him??? And why was he downtown.'

'The news will say what they think but those that knew him know this wasn't like him,' Johnson added in another post. 'This is the biggest loss we've had.'

Twelve police officers were shot in the shooting and five killed. Two bystanders were also shot and injured. Above, police investigators walk the scene of the shooting Friday morning

A crime scene investigator looks a shot out windows after a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

The Black Lives Matter group released a statement distancing themselves from the horrific attack.

'In the last few days, this country witnessed the recorded murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police, the latest victims in this country's failed policing system. As we have done for decades, we marched and protested to highlight the urgent need to transform policing in America, to call for justice, transparency and accountability, and to demand that Black Lives Matter.

'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 [12] 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.

'Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it.

'Yesterday’s attack was the result of the actions of a lone gunman.

'To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible. We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us.'

A woman is seen leaving the Johnson family residence on Friday as police searched the property

A woman appearing to be Johnson's stepmother, Donna, answers the door at his father's home in Garland, Texas

Law enforcement sweep the area after a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. At least two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas on Thursday night; some of the officers were killed, police said

An investigator walks the scene of a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Noelle Hendrix places flowers near the scene of a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Dallas Police Chief David Brown (pictured) said his department and profession as a whole is 'hurting' after Thursday night's massacre

A gunman named Micah X. Johnson was killed after a four-hour standoff with police. Before being killed, he told a hostage negotiator that he wanted to kill white police officers. Above, a police officer lies stricken next to cop cars

Before noon on Friday, police were gathering outside the address of the shooter's mother Delphene in Mesquite, Texas

Investigators leave the home of Micah Xavier Johnson in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, Texas, Friday, July 8, 2016; detectives found bomb-making materials, ammunition, rifles and ballistics vests at the home

TIMELINE OF DALLAS SHOOTING 7pm: Crowd of protesters gather at Belo Garden off Main Street in downtown Dallas. 8:59pm: Just before 9pm, the first shots are heard and protesters flee the scene. 9:05pm: Video captures gunshots ringing out and officers yelling 'active shooter' around the area of San Jacinto and Griffin streets. 9:35pm: First officer is reported down. 9:40pm: Two officers down. 10:23pm: DART police reports four of their officers were shot, including one who died, Brent Thompson. 10:29pm: Chief David Brown reports 10 officers were shot by snipers and that three of those officers died. 10:53pm: Authorities raise number of officers shot to 11. This is revised to 12 on Friday morning. 11:10pm: Shots fired at El Centro College parking garage in stand-off between police and a suspect. 11:13pm: Dallas police announce that a fourth officer has died. 11:27pm: Police say a female suspect has been taken into custody. 1:35am: Police flash-bang device goes off at the scene of the stand-off at El Centro College. 1:47am: Fifth officer reported down. 3:06am: Suspect in stand-off is confirmed dead. Advertisement

Before the dead suspect was taken out with a police bomb, he also warned that there were other IEDs hidden around the city. Cops say they have conducted a thorough search however, and believe that the city is safe.

Chief Brown said they used a police robot to drop off and detonate the bomb near the suspect so as to prevent further police casualties.

'We saw no other option than to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension to detonate where the suspect was,' Brown said, adding that, 'other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger.'

Previous reports alleged that Johnson had actually killed himself, but Brown said that these were not true.

A gruesome video shows a heroic policeman taking on a suspect, but being gunned down and shot again execution-style from point-blank range.

In an emotional statement before going into detail about the shooting, Brown said that the mass shooting had left his department 'hurting'.

'Our profession is hurting. Dallas Officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no works to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop. This divisiveness between our police and our city,' Brown said.

He also drew attention to the many witness videos that showed brave police officers running towards the shooting - thinking not of themselves but of the safety of the crowds at large.

The police chief went on to say that he and many of his officers don't feel 'much support' from the public on 'most days'.

'Let's not make today most days. Please, we need your support to be able to protect you from men like these who carried out this tragic tragic event. Pray for these families,' he said.

In a statement from Warsaw, Poland where he is at a NATO summit, President Obama expressed his 'deepest condolences to the American people', and warned that he still didn't know all of the facts of the massacre.

‘They were on duty doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests... they were targeted and nearly a dozen officers were shot,’ President Obama said.

‘I believe I speak for every American, when I say we are horrified and stand united with the police department in Dallas.'

President Obama confirmed the FBI is working with Dallas police and said ‘anyone involved will be made accountable… justice will be done.’

He urged the nation to remember to ‘express our profound gratitude for our men and women in blue’.

He also ordered flags lowered to half-staff to honor the 12 officers and two civilians shot in the attack.

Obama's proclamation Friday applies to American flags flown at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, military installations and Navy vessels. It extends through sunset Tuesday, July 12.

Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas flags to be flown at half-staff statewide during the same time period to honor the victims. Five of the officers were killed. The other seven and the two civilians were wounded.

The shootings have sparked more racial tension in America and mark the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the 9/11 attacks, when 72 officers died in the line of duty. Americans in major cities nationwide took to the streets on Thursday night to demand answers over the killings of Castile and Sterling.

The DART officer killed, Brent Thompson, joined the department in 2009 and is the first officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1989 when DART (the Dallas public transportation network) formed a police department.

Morgan Lyons, a spokesman for DART, said: 'As you can imagine, our hearts are broken.'

'This is something that touches every part of our organization. We have received countless expressions of support and sympathy from around the world through the evening. We are grateful for every message. Thank you.'

One video showed the moment a brave officer confronted a gunman. In the still above, the officer (right) is seen trying to duck for cover behind a cement post. However, the gunman takes the officer down and is seen pumping another shot into his dead body before fleeing the scene.

A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance after the shooting

Police block streets in downtown Dallas early as law enforcement investigate the scene of Thursday's fatal shooting, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday night, during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Dallas officials gathered for a prayer service in memory of the five fallen officers Friday at noon. The mayor and police chief attended the ceremony

The reverend TD Jakes address hundreds gathered today at Thanksgiving Square in Dallas,Texas today to address the recent shooting of five Dallas Police Officers

People join hands at the noon prayer service held in Dallas, Texas on Friday in memory of the five fallen police officers killed in Thursday night's massacre

All five police officers who were killed, including an Iraq War veteran whose final tweet was a patriotic happy birthday wish to America, have been identified after being killed Thursday night in the horrific Dallas shooting attack.

Dallas Police Officers Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Senior Cpl Lorne Ahrens, Michael J. Smith and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) police officer Brent Thompson were all killed in the downtown area of the city during a protest.

The first victim identified was six-year DART police veteran Thompson, 43.

The final message posted to a Twitter account belonging to Zamarripa was on July 4, wishing the country a happy birthday.

Zamarripa, who was a U.S. Navy veteran that served in Iraq, patriotically wrote: 'Happy Birthday to the greatest country on the face of this planet. My beloved America!'

He was the second officer identified as a victim in the shooting by one of his family members.

Police named the first victim as Thompson, 43, who was a six-year veteran of DART police.

Thompson is the first DART officer to ever be killed in the line of duty and had just been married to one of his fellow officer two weeks ago. He was also a grandfather.

The third deceased officer was identified as 40-year-old Krol who is originally from Michigan, but moved to Dallas in 2007 where he started working for the Dallas Police Department.

The last two remaining victims of the shooting were identified later in the afternoon on Friday Ahrens, 48, and Smith, 55.

The shooting started at 8.45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week

Dallas Police officers shield bystanders after shots were fired in the middle of what had been a peaceful rally in the Texas city

High alert: Dallas Police officers were also seen stopping a motorist at gunpoint from leaving downtown Dallas in a white SUV

One of the injured police officers has been named as Misty McBride (elft). She was reportedly shot in the shoulder but will survive. Police officer Gretchen Rocha (right, between her sisters Ingrid Bayer and Katrina Schwartz) suffered shrapnel injuries but will survive

Mother-of-four Shetamia Taylor (pictured) was shot in the calf as she shielded her children, hiding her 15-year-old son under a car

The names of three of the injured DART officers have also been revealed as Omar Cannon, 44; Misty McBride, 32; and Jesus Retana, 39. They are expected to recover from their injuries.

Officials said that two of the injured officers - including McBride, a mother who was shot in the shoulder - were female.

One of the two injured bystanders was also a woman, mother-of-four Shetamia Taylor, was shot in the calf as she shielded her children, hiding her 15-year-old son under a car.

Police officer Gretchen Rocha, 23, who had only been serving in Dallas for a month, received shrapnel injuries but will survive, her family told the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.

The shooting started at 8:45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week.

Horrifying footage shows peaceful protesters chanting 'hands up, don't shoot' before suddenly scattering as shots were fired near Belo Garden Park.

Another video captures semi-automatic gunfire ringing out, with dozens of shots heard as people scream and run for cover.

A horrific video taken on a cell phone by a terrified Dallas resident shows a heroic policeman trying to shoot a gunman.

The officer is seen ducking behind a pillar but being shot by the gunman, who then stands over the cop and pumps another bullet into him.

Police Chief Brown said that it appeared the shooter or shooters 'planned to injure and kill as many officers as they could'.

The suspects 'have threatened to plant a bomb in the downtown area', Brown added.

A man, named as Mark Hughes, who was pictured walking through Dallas with what appeared to be an assault rifle, has been released from custody after he turned himself into police when cops made a public appeal and his family said he was an innocent bystander.

Armed police: Dallas police move to detain a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas on Thursday evening

Chaos: Protesters tripped over each other as they ran for cover in the seconds after the shooting began in Dallas on Thursday evening

A Dallas police officer takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning after the shooting in downtown

Mr Hughes said he was released from police custody after a 30 minute interrogation. The shocked ‘bystander’ told KTVT: 'I can't believe it. The crazy thing about it was I was down here, I couldn't get to my vehicle because of the roadblock and at hindsight 20/20 I could easily have been shot.’

Mr Hughes was unaware that his face was being plastered over the internet as a suspect in the shooting.

'I didn't know. We received a phone call that my face was on there as a suspect and immediately I flagged down a police officer,’ Mr Hughes said.

'I was talking to police laughing and joking with police officers,’ he added.

During his 30 minute interrogation Mr Hughes claimed officers ‘lied’ and said the had video of him shooting and that they had witnesses ‘saying I shot a gun’.

‘At the end of the day the system was trying to get me,’ he claimed.

Mr Hughes said he has not yet received an apology. His attorneys said he has received thousands of death threats.

Dallas police officers stand in a line near the site of shootings in downtown Dallas, early Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers, police said; some of the officers were killed

A clerk looks at broke windows shot out at a store in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Anguish: ‘They were on duty doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests... they were targeted and nearly a dozen officers were shot,’ President Obama said

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks at the US Justice Department in Washington, DC, on July 8, 2016. Lynch addressed the shootings in Dallas, Minnesota and Louisiana. 'This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss,' Lynch said. She said, 'to all Americans, I ask you, I implore you, do not let this week precipitate a new normal in this country.'

'Now you have my face on national news are you going to come out and say this young man had nothing to do with it?,’ he asked.

'We've been getting death threats. All I know is there was nothing just going on and there was a persecution on me unrightly and they need to do something about it.’

Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered 'whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time'.

'In times like this we must remember - and emphasize - the importance of uniting as Americans,' he said.

The search for the gunmen stretched throughout downtown, an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on the street corners.

'Everyone just started running,' Devante Odom, 21, told The Dallas Morning News. 'We lost touch with two of our friends just trying to get out of there.'

Carlos Harris, who lives downtown, told the newspaper that the shootings 'were strategic. It was tap tap pause. Tap tap pause'.

Police officers were seen shielding bystanders as they tried to evacuate the streets.

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh caused outrage when he tweeted that the Dallas killings 'mean war'.

Mr Walsh said, in a tweet that has now been deleted, '3 Dallas cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming for you.'

After receiving a wave of criticism on social media, he clarified: 'I wasn't calling for violence, against Obama or anyone. Obama's words & BLM's deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.'

The shootings came as thousands of people attended demonstrations against police brutality across America, with marches taking place in New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington DC, as well as in Louisiana and Minnesota - where Sterling and Castile were killed.

The huge swell of protests is in response to the shootings of Sterling and Castile, who were shot by police in Louisiana and Minnesota respectively.

Sterling, a street seller in Baton Rouge, was tackled to ground by officers after a 911 call was made - allegedly by a homeless man - about a black man who had flashed a firearm.

Officers Howie Lake and Blane Salamoni pinned the father-of-five down before firing six shots at Sterling, who had a gun in his pocket but did not appear to make any attempts to take it out during the confrontation.

Sterling was on probation and should not have been carrying a weapon. It is not clear which of the two officers - who are now on administrative leave - fired the shots.

It also emerged that Lake was previously suspended for his involvement of the shooting of another black man in December 2014.

There were claims of an attempted cover-up after police seized CCTV footage from the store where Sterling was shot, however it is now understood that the footage will be handed over to federal investigators.

The store's owner, Abdullah Muflahi, said the video and his entire surveillance system was taken without a warrant.

He recorded a separate, gruesome video of the incident on his cell phone and told Daily Mail Online that he feared police would attempt to seize his phone and delete the evidence.

When asked why he had not handed over the cellphone film, he said: 'I did not show them. When the cop was getting up, I put my phone away because I knew they were going to take it away.

'The truth had to come out. I did hold back from giving it to anybody for the first few hours till I had got my lawyers.'

Asked what he meant by the 'truth' he replied: 'I felt they didn't need to kill him.'

Sterling (left) was killed following a confrontation outside a Baton Rouge convenience store early Tuesday morning. Castile (right), 32, was shot dead by a cop during a traffic stop in Minnesota

Blane Salamoni (left) and three-year-veteran Howie Lake II (right) were the police officers involved in Sterling's shooting in Louisiana

Officer Jeronimo Yanez (pictured) was identified as the cop who shot Philando Castile Wednesday when a traffic stop for a faulty tail light went badly wrong. The aftermath was live-streamed on Facebook

Castile was shot by an officer in St Paul, Minneapolis, on Wednesday after his car was stopped for a routine traffic stop.

His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, insisted that police had stopped them for a busted tail light, which she claims wasn't even busted, and that Castile told the officer he had a firearm on him and a license, before the cop began shooting 'for no reason'.

She livestreamed the moments after the shooting on Facebook, showing Castile dying in the front of the car as blood seeped from his chest.

Hundreds of people gathered in Times Square and Union Square in New York on Thursday to protest against the shootings, with tensions bubbling over. Dozens of other protests were also held across the country over the two men's deaths.

Also voicing her anger was Beyonce, who paused her show in Glasgow, Scotland, to display names of police brutality victims.

In an open letter, the Lemonade singer said: 'We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities. It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they "stop killing us".

'We don't need sympathy. We need everyone to respect our lives.

'We're going to stand up as a community and fight against anyone who believes that murder or any violent action by those who are sworn to protect us should consistently go unpunished.'

The furious demonstrations came as President Obama called for calm, but pleaded with police officers to treat minorities equally.

Obama yesterday said the recent spate of shootings was 'not just a black issue', saying all Americans should be troubled by black and Hispanic people being killed by cops.

'We have seen tragedies like these too many times,' a somber Obama said.

'When incidents like this occur, there's a big chunk of our fellow citizenry that feels as if - because of the color of their skin - they are not being treated the same. And that hurts. And that should trouble all of us.

'This is not just a black issue. It's not just a Hispanic issue. It's an American issue. All fair-minded people should be concerned.'

Governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton also joined the calls for change, launching a startling attack on 'racism' in the police, saying he does not believe that Castile would have been shot dead on Wednesday if he was white.

Gov Dayton said there was 'every indication' that police conduct in the shooting of Castile, a black man, was 'way in excess' of what the situation warranted.

'Would this have happened if the driver and the passengers were white?', asked Mr Dayton. 'I don't think it would have.