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President Obama Responds To Shootings In Louisiana, Minnesota

President Barack Obama says the deadly shootings by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota are not isolated incidents. He says the U.S. has a "serious problem."

Obama reacted to the pair of controversial deaths in a Facebook post Thursday. He says all Americans should be "deeply troubled."

Obama says the incidents are symptoms of broader challenges in the criminal justice system. He says they reflect racial disparities that persist "year after year." Obama says that's created a lack of trust between law enforcement officers and their communities.

Obama says he's limited in what he can say about the cases. But he says he's "encouraged" the U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation into the Louisiana incident.

But Obama also says the U.S. must show respect and appreciation for police.

Read the full statement on the president's Facebook page:

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