Louisiana governor orders flags lowered after shootings

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards is ordering Louisiana and American flags to be lowered across all state buildings.

The Louisiana governor’s executive order, planned for release Monday, comes in response to the fatal shooting of a Lafayette police officer and the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Edwards’ office says flags will remain lowered through Friday.

In a statement, Edwards described gratitude for the Lafayette police officer’s “service to our community.” The officer was killed late Sunday after responding to a call about a shooting at a convenience store.

Of the Las Vegas shootings, Edwards said: “Louisianans have experienced the heartbreak of horrific, calculated violence in recent years and our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones and those who sustained injuries.”