Obama said the shooting of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile was symptomatic of racial disparities in the US justice system which needed to be addressed.
The White House published his reaction to the death of the two men on its Facebook page.
“All Americans should be deeply troubled by the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge‚ Louisiana and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights‚ Minnesota. We’ve seen such tragedies far too many times‚ and our hearts go out to the families and communities who’ve suffered such a painful loss‚” said Obama.
“Although I am constrained in commenting on the particular facts of these cases‚ I am encouraged that the US Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation in Baton Rouge‚ and I have full confidence in their professionalism and their ability to conduct a thoughtful‚ thorough‚ and fair inquiry.
