Elected officials condemned the slayings, calling them a "sickening" revenge plot.
Police departments from the Lehigh Valley showed solidarity on social media Friday after the previous night's deadly shooting in Dallas, where at least one sniper killed five police officers, wounded seven more and injured two civilians.
Valley-area elected officials also condemned the shootings, which happened during a protest of recent killings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Investigators told the Associated Press that the alleged sniper, himself killed by police after a standoff, was motivated by those deaths.
"Such incidents," Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey said of the prior shootings in a statement, "must be investigated thoroughly, and if any official is found to have violated the law, he should be severely punished.
"But none of that should be confused with what happened in Dallas last night," the former Lehigh Valley congressman continued. "This disgusting attack has no possible justification. The overwhelming majority of police officers are honest, hardworking Americans who should not be scapegoated for the actions of a very small number within their ranks."
Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of @DallasPD #GoneButNotForgotten #ThinBlueLine pic.twitter.com/3EEwhgzRhu
-- NJSP - State Police (@NJSP) July 8, 2016
The Republican Toomey was joined in condemnation of the Dallas slayings by others representing the region in Washington, D.C.
Pennsylvania's Democratic Sen. Bob Casey said the "coordinated and cowardly ambush" is the latest in "a week of pain and sorrow for our nation" that raised questions about the use of force in the criminal justice system.
"As we offer prayers and condolences for the families of all of the victims," he said, "we must, as one nation, commit to addressing these challenges."
N.J. police on alert, mourning Dallas deaths
New Jersey Congressman Leonard Lance, whose district includes part of Warren County, said the Department of Justice was "rightfully" investigating the prior police-involved shootings.
"It is sickening the perpetrators took the lives of the the innocent Dallas law enforcement officers for revenge," the Republican said. "This is not the United States we want for our families."
Pennsylvania Congressman Charlie Dent, another Republican, said the Dallas officers were fired upon as they were engaging positively with protesters and "in positive discussions with community members."
"When individuals single out law enforcement officers for attack," Dent said, "we must realize that they are not just attacking men and women in uniform, they are attacking the rule of law that provides the foundational element of our society. Those who committed these murders were viciously promoting chaos over order and terror over the rule of law."
To that end, the New Jersey State Police -- which has a frequently engaging social media presence -- posted photos on Facebook seeking a burglary suspect in Sussex County. " As we try to absorb this calamity," the post said of Dallas, "we must continue to do our job just as Dallas Police Department officers are doing theirs today."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.