Members of Maine’s congressional delegation reacted Sunday to the fatal shootings of three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana:

U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine: “This is truly terrible news; awful for the families of those so senselessly slain and terrible for our country. There are too many families across this country, of all colors and of all backgrounds, whose hearts are filled with grief and pain. While none of us knows what the answer to this problem is, I think we do know that this pain will not be healed by further violence. It will only be healed through love and compassion, through listening and understanding, and through honest conversation. I deeply hope each of us can find this within ourselves during this difficult time, so we can come together to face these problems united and put an end to this needless violence.”

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine: “We must unite against the cycle of violence in our nation. Those who protect us deserve our respect and gratitude.”

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District: “Once again we are faced with the heartbreaking news of innocent Americans falling victim to hatred and gun violence. As we mourn the deaths of three brave police officers today, and grieve for their families, we must find a way to bring an end to this cycle of violence. And we can only do that through peaceful dialogue and justice for all members of our communities.”

U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District: “Our police officers put their lives at risk every single day to protect our communities and keep us safe. Today, we’ve seen yet another horrific attack on our officers. We are a nation of laws, and rule of law must be followed. We cannot allow this to continue. I proudly stand with all of the dutiful police officers, firefighters, and first responders in Maine and throughout our Nation, who work hard and sacrifice to make everyone else’s life safer. Those officers should be applauded, not targeted. And those with intent to purposely do them harm should be treated as criminals.”

– Staff report