Drake 'disheartened ... truly scared' after Alton Sterling killing

Drake took to social media to express grief over Tuesday'sdeath in Louisiana ofAlton Sterling, with the Toronto rapper saying he is "disheartened, emotional and truly scared" after the latest police shooting of a black man.

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"I woke up this morning with a strong need to say something," Drake saidWednesday night in hisInstagram post.

"Last night when I saw the video of Alton Sterling being killed it left me disheartened, emotional and truly scared."

Sterling, 37, was shot by police early Tuesday in the parking lot outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, where he regularly sold homemade CDs from a folding table.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the killing, which was captured on video.

Sterling's death and Drake's social media post came before the killing of another black man,late Wednesday. Family members identified 32-year-old Philando Castile as the personshot in a vehicle driven by his girlfriend during a routine traffic stop. Castiledied shortly after arriving at a hospital.

Both incidents this weekcomeat a time when law enforcement officers across the U.S. are under close scrutiny over what some see as indiscriminate use of deadly force against black people.

Shooting sets off angry protest

Theincident involving Sterling was captured on at least two videos, setting off angry protests in the city's black community.

In his Instagram post, Drake said Sterling's killing points to a wider problem.

"It's impossible to ignore that the relationship between black and brown communities and law enforcement remains strained as it was decades ago. No one begins their life as a hashtag. Yet the trend of being reduced to one continues."

Drake writes he is "concerned for the safety of my family, my friends and any human being that could fall victim to this pattern."

"I do not know the answer," Drake says. "But I believe things can change for the better."

The rapper closes by saying that his thoughts and prayers are with the Sterling family and any family that "has lost someone to this cycle of violence."

As of Thursday morning, his post has been liked 261,000 times. Drake has more than 25 million Instagram followers.