United States President Barack Obama will cut short his four-day trip to Europe and return to Washington, following the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that Obama will travel to Dallas early next week at the invitation of Mayor Mike Rawlings, and devote most of his week, addressing the racial and policing issues raised by the events of the past few days.
Obama will skip his day of sightseeing and troop visits in southern Spain and instead meet with Spanish officials in Madrid on Sunday. He will return to Washington Sunday night, a day ahead of schedule.
Earlier, the President condemned the sniper-style shootings of Dallas police officers, calling the assault a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement.
Earlier, five police officers were killed after unknown snipers ambushed them amid protests in Dallas over the shooting of two black men by cops in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Six other officers were also wounded in the shoot out.
The crowd had gathered to protest against the killing of Philando Castile on Wednesday by a cop in Minnesota and Alton Sterling who was shot by a policeman on Tuesday in Louisiana.
People across the nation vented their anger and rallies were carried out in Minnesota, Louisiana, Chicago, New York and many other cities.
The shooting in Dallas happened as protests were underway.
Witness Clarissa Myles said "Everyone was screaming, people were running. I saw at least probably 30 shots go off."
Another witness who was at the protest said he heard multiple gunshots in rapid succession.
Video showed numerous police officers crouching behind vehicles. Others approached a location holding protective shields.
Philando Castile, a school food services worker, was shot in Falcon Heights on Wednesday, outside Minneapolis, when a police officer pulled him over because of a broken taillight, said his fiancee, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with Castile, along with her 4-year-old daughter.
