WARNING: The following videos contain graphic language and content that some may find disturbing.

In response to the deaths of two black men fatally shot by U.S. police officers this week, hundreds of protesters gathered in Dallas on Thursday night and marched with their hands above their hands chanting a defiant message: 鈥淒on鈥檛 shoot!鈥�

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Around 10 p.m., their peaceful message was from a sniper who specifically targeted police.

Five police officers were killed by the shooter, who authorities later identified as 25-year-old , and seven more officers were injured, making Thursday the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the 911 terrorist attacks.

As shots rang out and the crowd fled for safety, some witnesses pulled out their cellphones and began filming the chaos. The videos quickly flooding social media formed a picture of the confusion and fear in the streets of Dallas.

In those first moments, it was unclear exactly who was being targeted. 鈥淥h my God, there鈥檚 people laying on the ground,鈥� says a woman in a video shot from a high vantage point.

Dozens of police cruisers quickly rushed to the scene, and a Facebook Live video shot by witness Michael Bautista shows officers ducking for cover from the bullets behind their cars.

 

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Posted by on Thursday, 7 July 2016

鈥淭hey鈥檙e shooting right now, and there鈥檚 an officer down,鈥� Bautista says during the footage, and some officers begin running toward a building.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e moving in on somebody,鈥� he says.

From another vantage point inside a parking garage, a witness films as at least nine uniformed police officers storm the building with their guns drawn. One man can be heard shouting 鈥淏e careful!鈥�

An officer on the street then ushers the crowd away from the building and toward safety. As the shooting unfolded, police warned people about sharing the locations of police officers on social media.

Others shared details of the shooting in words, expressing sadness that the peaceful protest was broken up by violence.

All the while, the Dallas Police Department posted updates on Twitter as the death toll rose.

In the hours that followed, the hashtag 鈥淧ray for Dallas鈥� became a place for people to share their thoughts and condolences, and celebrities and politicians quickly spoke out to denounce the attack. Others pointed out how horrific this week has been in the U.S. for gun violence.

On Friday night, the Reunion Tower in Dallas -- often lit up for summertime festivities -- remained dark.