US reels after mass shootings

President Trump greets first responders as he visits El Paso Regional Communications Center in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 7, 2019, following last weekend's mass shootings.

President Trump and the first lady visited Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, today — two communities mourning from two mass shootings over the weekend.

In both cities, the President visited hospitals and met with victims’ families, first responders and doctors.

We’re wrapping up our live coverage, but here’s what you need to know about the President’s visits:

Taylor Gould, a friend and former classmate of Megan Betts, said Dayton shooter Connor Betts tried to choke her and put his hands around her neck, when she tried to intervene on Megan’s behalf during a sleepover at the Betts’ home,

“He choked me out for standing up [to] him,” she told the CNN.  

The choking incident, which was first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer, happened when Gould was in middle school, and Connor was a high school freshman. 

She said Connor only let her go after his mother began crying and begging him to stop.

The El Paso shooting suspect’s mother called the Allen Police Department weeks before the shooting because she was concerned about her son owning an “AK” type firearm, lawyers for the family confirmed to CNN.

The mother contacted police because she was worried about her son owning the weapon given his age, maturity level and lack of experience handling such a firearm, attorneys Chris Ayres and R. Jack Ayres said.

During the call, the mother was transferred to a public safety officer who told her that —based on her description of the situation — her son, 21, was legally allowed to purchase the weapon, the attorneys said. The mother did not provide her name or her son’s name, and police did not seek any additional information from her before the call concluded, they added. 

It is not known whether the gun the mother inquired about is the weapon used in the attack.

In response to public records requests for information on alleged shooter Patrick Crusius, the Allen Police Department provided no reports documenting the call from the mother.

The police said in a statement only three minor incidents — one, a false burglar alarm at the family home, another when Crusius was a passenger in a bus involved in a minor traffic accident and a third when he ran away from home but returned 30 minutes later — “are the entirety of our dealings with Mr. Crusius, in any capacity, be it suspect, witness, reporting party, or in any other manner.”  

According to the family’s attorneys, the mother’s inquiry was “informational” in nature and was not motivated out of a concern that her son posed a threat to anybody.

Family members declined further comment through their lawyers.

Some background: Crusius is accused of opening fire at an El Paso Walmart Saturday killing 22 people and injuring more than two dozen others. Before the shooing, he posted a manifesto online proclaiming white nationalist and racist views against Hispanics and immigrants.

He has been charged with capital murder and is being held without bond. District Attorney Jaime Esparza said his office will seek the death penalty.

Additionally, US Attorney John Bash said the Justice Department is “seriously considering” bringing federal hate crime and federal firearm charges. 

]President Donald Trump (R) greets Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (C) as he arrives at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio on Aug. 7, 2019.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley reacted tonight to President Trump who accused her and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown of misrepresenting the reception Trump received from shooting victims during his visit to a hospital today.

Whaley told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that she didn’t understand the President’s remarks.

Some background: At a news conference following their hospital visit with Trump, Brown said Trump was “received well by the patients,” was “comforting” and “did the right things.” At the press conference and in an interview with CNN, Whaley said victims were “grateful” to see Trump and that he was “treated well by the victims, for sure.”

Brown did call Trump and his past rhetoric “racist.” Whaley called Trump’s past rhetoric “divisive” and said it was good he did not visit the district where the shooting occurred because of local “anger” about him.

But neither of the two Democrats alleged that Trump was badly received at the hospital.

When Whaley was later shown the Trump tweet in which he accused her of “totally misrepresenting what took place inside of the hospital,” she responded, “I’m really confused.”

President Trump is heading back to Washington, DC, after meeting with victims’ families, law enforcement officials and other community members following Saturday’s mass shooting that left 22 people dead in El Paso, Texas.

He visited both El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, today. Dayton was the scene of Sunday’s mass shooting.

In El Paso, Trump visited a hospital and the city’s Emergency Operations Center. Protesters and supporters were gathered today at a memorial site and outside the hospital.

El Paso residents are reacting to President Trump’s visit to Texas today.

Trump met victims’ families at the University Medical Center of El Paso and visited the city’s Emergency Operations Center today in the wake of a mass shooting that left 22 people dead at a Walmart.

Just a few yards behind that Walmart, El Paso residents were watching Trump’s comments live.

Ben Dominguez

Ben Dominguez, who is a human services investigator, said people need to focus on the good things the President has done during the trip.

German Gomez

German Gomez, who owns a car dealership, said he wasn’t for or against Trump, “but you do need to respect him because he’s our President.”

He continued that when it comes to gun violence, he believes it’s about the person, not the firearm.

President Trump thanked first responders during a stop at El Paso’s Emergency Operations Center tonight. 

However, he quickly changed his tone and began to criticize Nan Whaley, the Democratic mayor of Dayton, Ohio, and the state’s Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

He then called them very dishonest, saying, “I get on Air Force One where they do have a lot of televisions, I turn on the television and there they are saying, ‘Well, I don’t know if it was appropriate for the President to be here.’”

Some background: Earlier today, Trump, his press secretary and his director of social media accused Brown and Whaley of misrepresenting the reception the President received from shooting victims during his visit to a Dayton hospital.

Facts First: This is false. While both Brown and Whaley criticized Trump’s past rhetoric, they were only complimentary about his visit to the hospital. 

At a press conference following their joint hospital visit with Trump, Brown said Trump was “received well by the patients,” was “comforting” and “did the right things.” At the press conference and in an interview with CNN, Whaley said victims were “grateful” to see Trump and that he was “treated well by the victims, for sure.” 

Brown did call Trump and his past rhetoric “racist.” Whaley called Trump’s past rhetoric “divisive” and said it was good he did not visit the district where the shooting occurred because of local “anger” about him.  

But neither of the two Democrats alleged that Trump was badly received at the hospital. 

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump are visiting an emergency operations center in El Paso. They plan to meet and thank law enforcement officials.

Trump is expected to be accompanied by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and El Paso Chief of Police Greg Allen.

Mark Morgan, acting commissioner for US Customs and Border Protection, and John Bash, US attorney for the Western District of Texas, are also joining the President.

An Ohio football team is donating $75,000 to help families who were affected by the mass shooting in Dayton over the weekend.

The Cincinnati Bengals are partnering with the National Football League Foundation. The money will be donated to the Dayton Oregon District Tragedy Fund, through the Dayton Foundation.

The Dayton Foundation will then work with local officials to allocate the money to families.

The man who authorities say opened fire on a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, is being held in isolation at a detention facility, an official with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.

Shooting suspect Patrick Crusius is also on lockdown in a 7-by-11 foot cell at the El Paso County Detention Facility, the official said.

Crusius is not on suicide watch, but is being monitored like any other inmate, according to the official.

The official declined to comment on whether the suspect has communicated to the jail staff, if he has asked for anything in particular, or if he’s asked to speak to anyone in particular. The official also declined to say if he had had visitors.

Some background: Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas, has been charged with capital murder in the mass shooting that left 22 people dead and more than two dozen wounded, according to court records. He is being held without bond.