LSU football coach Les Miles says 'my heart hurts for Baton Rouge'

LSU football coach Les Miles said "my heart hurts for Baton Rouge and what's happened in our community over the past couple of weeks" after Sunday's shootings in the city left three police officers dead and three more injured.

The shootings took place less than two weeks after the death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man killed by white Baton Rouge officers after a scuffle at a convenience store. Sterling's death, which sparked protests nationwide, was followed days later by the killing of five Dallas police officers by a sniper during one of those protests.

Miles's statement went on to say, "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those officers who lost their lives or were injured today in what was a senseless act. I continue to pray for peace, compassion and civility as our city mourns during this extremely sad time for Baton Rouge."

LSU football stars past and present expressed their thoughts via Twitter

Leonard Fournette, the team's star running back and Heisman Trophy candidate, wrote:

Quarterback Brandon Harris added:

Matthieu, now a star safety for the Arizona Cardinals, Tweeted:

There were also messages of sorrow from other coaches at LSU, whose campus is located in Baton Rouge.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have tragically lost loved ones and we continue to pray for peace and healing in a hurting city in which we live," basketball coach Johnny Jones told The Advocate.

"Just a sad, sad day for our city," baseball coach Paul Mainieri said in a text to The Advocate.