President Obama: Michael Brown’s death is ‘heartbreaking’

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — President Barack Obama says that while the shooting death of a Missouri teenager has prompted “strong passions,” people should remember Michael Brown through “reflection and understanding.”

Obama’s comments came in a written statement about 18-year-old Brown. The unarmed teen was fatally shot by a police officer Saturday while walking on a street near his suburban St. Louis home.

Witnesses have said the officer was white and Brown was black. The shooting has prompted violent protests in Brown’s community.

Obama says he and wife Michelle send their deepest condolences to Brown’s family and community. He says the Justice Department is continuing to investigate the situation along with local officials.

The president also called on people to comfort each other “in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. “