Hollywood Stars Take to Twitter With Pleas to End Violence

A protest in Dallas against police brutality turned violent on Thursday night when at least one sniper killed five officers and wounded seven others.

Celebrities, including John Legend, Kevin Hart, Patricia Arquette and Shonda Rhimes, took to social media on Thursday night and Friday morning to mourn the deaths and call for peace.

Kevin Hart: "Peace is the message. 'An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.'"

John Legend: "These Dallas shootings are horrific. Killing these officers is morally reprehensible and completely counterproductive to keeping us safe. ... Being against cops killing is not equal to being for killing cops. We need peace in our streets."

Shonda Rhimes: "As someone with law enforcement in my family, I am just shaking. That does not equal this. Senseless. Horrific. Heartbreaking."

Patricia Arquette: "Just heard about shootings in #Dallas. Please everyone stop killing each other -- no more guns. No more violence. No more murder. Horrible."

Rashida Jones: "My heart hurts. Too much death. Too much hate. Hug your loved ones tight. Tell them that in the darkest times, we MUST love even harder."

Olivia Wilde: "It is truly tragic when a vicious few turn a peaceful protest into a bloodbath. Horrific and sad. #nomoreviolence"

Demi Lovato: "My heart hurts. God help us."

Nicki Minaj: "May the spirit of Malcolm X be reborn ... for such a time as this."

Ellen Pompeo: "We all can do better ... anger is an epidemic."

Trevor Noah: "One step forward, ten steps back. The point is to save lives not trade places."

Josh Gad: "There is tragedy. We answer it with tragedy. We demand justice. We seek vengeance. We hang our heads in sorrow. Sad week in the US of A."

The ambush comes on the heels of police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot and killed by police in separate incidents in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, respectively.