Trump to visit El Paso mass shooting site, in spite of Dems' warning to stay away

Trump to visit El Paso mass shooting site, in spite of Dems' warning to stay away




Gregg Re
7 hrs ago










El Paso, Texas, Mayor Dee Margo told reporters on Monday that President Trump will visit the city on Wednesday, even as several prominent Democrats indirectly blamed the president for Saturday's mass shooting there -- with some warning him, in frank terms, to stay away.
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News of Trump's planned appearance teed up a potentially bitter national political moment just four days after suspected gunman Patrick Crusius, 21, allegedly opened fire at a Walmart and killed 22 people while injuring more than two dozen others.

"He is president of the United States," Margo told reporters. "So in that capacity, I will fulfill my obligations as mayor of El Paso and hope that if we are expressing specifics that we can get him to come through for us."

The mayor said he is “already getting the emails and the phone calls” from “people with lots of time on their hands," but that his focus remains on his community, not politics.

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Slide 1 of 38: Rene Aguilar and Jackie Flores pray at a makeshift memorial for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting at a shopping complex in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

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1/38 SLIDES  Andres Leighton/AP Photo


People across Texas get together to pay homage to the victims of the mass shooting that left multiple people dead at a Walmart store in Texas on Aug. 3. At least one suspect was taken into custody after the shooting in the border city of El Paso, triggering fear and panic among weekend shoppers as well as widespread condemnation.
(Pictured) Rene Aguilar and Jackie Flores pray for the victims at a makeshift memorial, on Aug. 4.


2/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


People carry crosses with the names of victims who died in the shooting to a makeshift memorial on Aug. 5.

3/38 SLIDES  Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters


A cross for each of the victims waits to be taken to a growing memorial site on Aug. 5.

4/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


Members of the Soto family embrace beside a makeshift memorial on Aug. 5.

5/38 SLIDES  Mario Tama/Getty Images


Family members embrace at a makeshift memorial on Aug. 5.

6/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


Flowers and signs are seen at a makeshift memorial on Aug. 5.

7/38 SLIDES  Brendan McDermid/Reuters


Traders at the New York Stock Exchange building pause for a moment of silence for the victims of recent gun violence, on Aug. 5.

8/38 SLIDES  Win McNamee/Getty Images


The American flag flies at half staff over the U.S. Capitol in memory of those killed in both the shootings on Aug. 5.

9/38 SLIDES  Larry W Smith/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


A man prays at a makeshift memorial at the shooting site, on Aug. 5.

10/38 SLIDES  Larry W Smith/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


A woman and her son wipe tears away while talking to media after attending the make shift memorial on Aug. 5.

11/38 SLIDES  Larry W Smith/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


Greg Zanis with Crosses for Losses, signs a few crosses for each victim he has for the make shift memorial , on Aug. 5.

12/38 SLIDES  Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters


Mourners pay their respects a day after a mass shooting, on Aug. 4.

13/38 SLIDES  Karla Ann Cote/NurPhoto/Getty Images


People hold a rally against gun violence outside of New York Public Library in response to recent mass shootings on Aug. 4, in New York City.

14/38 SLIDES  John Locher/AP Photo


People comfort each other during a vigil organized by the city, on Aug. 4.

15/38 SLIDES  Erin Scott/Reuters


The United States flag flies at half staff above the White House in response to the El Paso and Dayton mass shooting attacks in Washington, DC on Aug. 4.

16/38 SLIDES  Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters


Serenity Lara cries during a vigil at a Walmart store on Aug. 4.

17/38 SLIDES  Mario Tama/Getty Images


Flowers and mementos are seen at a makeshift memorial outside Walmart, near the scene of shooting, on Aug. 4.

18/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


People react during a prayer vigil organized by the city, on Aug. 4.

19/38 SLIDES  Larry W Smith/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


Two women kneel to pray at a makeshift memorial at the shooting site, on Aug. 4.

20/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


Three Walmart employees who were present during the shooting, react on stage during a prayer and candle vigil, on Aug. 4.

21/38 SLIDES  Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images


Adria Gonzalez, centre, who is being hailed as a hero for leading some Walmart customers to safety, speaks to the crowd during prayer and candle vigil, on Aug. 4.

22/38 SLIDES  Andres Leighton/AP Photo


Children of a youth sports community participate in a vigil for the victims, on Aug. 4.

23/38 SLIDES  Mario Tama/Getty Images


Democratic presidential candidate, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, centre, pauses by members of Mariachi Puesta del Sol at an interfaith vigil for victims, on Aug. 4.

24/38 SLIDES  Larry W Smith/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


People hold candles during a vigil, Aug. 4.

25/38 SLIDES  Christian Chavez/AP Photo


People gather in Juarez, Mexico, on Aug. 3, in a vigil for the three Mexican nationals who were killed in the shooting.

26/38 SLIDES  John Locher/AP Photo


People comfort each other during a vigil on Aug. 3, in El Paso.

27/38 SLIDES  Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters


San Diego Padres stand for a moment of silence to honor the shooting victims before the game against Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug 3.

28/38 SLIDES  Ivan Pierre Aguirre/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock


Candles are seen placed during a vigil at St. Pius X Roman Catholic church on Aug. 3.

29/38 SLIDES  Christian Chavez/AP Photo


People gather in Juarez, Mexico, on Aug. 3, for a vigil.

30/38 SLIDES  John Locher/AP Photo


People attend a vigil for victims on Aug. 3.

31/38 SLIDES  Harry How/Getty Images


The United States women's soccer team stand for a moment of silence in honor of the victims in the El Paso shooting earlier today before the first game of the USWNT Victory Tour against the Republic of Ireland on Aug. 3, in California.

32/38 SLIDES  Carlos Sanchez/Reuters


Mourners take part in a vigil near the border fence between Mexico and the U.S, in Ciudad Juarez on Aug. 3.

33/38 SLIDES  Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters


Mourners taking part in a vigil at El Paso High School after the mass shooting, on Aug. 3.

34/38 SLIDES  John Locher/AP Photo


Sherie Gramlich reacts during a vigil for victims of the mass shooting, Aug. 3.

35/38 SLIDES  Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters


Mourners take part in a vigil at El Paso High School, on Aug. 3.

36/38 SLIDES  Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo


U.S. and Texas flags are held in the infield as fans and the teams observe a moment of silence for those injured and killed in the shooting, before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers in Arlington, on Aug. 3.

37/38 SLIDES  Joel Angel Juarez/AFP/Getty Images


Texas Governor Greg Abbott, left, and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, right, pray after a vigil ceremony at Saint Pius X Church, in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3.

38/38 SLIDES  Mario Tama/Getty Images


People attend a vigil at St Pius X Church following the shooting on Aug. 3.

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“We’re dealing with a tragedy of 22 people who have perished by the hateful, evil act of a white supremacist,” he said. “I don’t know how we deal with evil. I don’t have a textbook for dealing with it other than the Bible.

"I’m sorry. We are going to go through this. The president is coming out. I will meet with the president. I guess for people who have lots of time on their hands, I will deal with the emails and phone calls.”

The White House has not confirmed Trump's schedule, or whether he will also visit Dayton, Ohio, where a gunman killed nine people over the weekend. But the Federal Aviation Administration has advised pilots of a presidential visit Wednesday to both El Paso and Dayton.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley told reporters that she had "not gotten a call" about a presidential visit as of late Monday, and didn't have more details.

FoxNews.com El Paso officials hold press conference on latest details of mass shooting in Texas. But both before and after Margo's announcement, several Democrats forcefully urged Trump not to visit El Paso. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who represents the district that is home to the Walmart where Saturday’s shooting took place, lashed out at the president on Monday morning -- placing some of the blame for the weekend’s tragedy at his feet.

“The president has made my community and my people the enemy,” she told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“He has told the country that we are people to be feared, people to be hated," Escobar continued. "From my perspective, he is not welcome here. He should not come here while we are in mourning.”

And Democratic presidential candidate Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, urged Margo in a televised interview to "quietly" tell Trump that he is not "welcome" in the city, because of his rhetoric on immigration.

Ryan has escalated his language in the last 24 hours, as he struggles to raise his political profile. He tweeted “Fck me” after Trump mistakenly, at one point in his speech, said the Ohio shooting took place in Toledo and not Dayton.

For Ryan, the language appeared to be part of a deliberate approach: Earlier Monday, the longshot candidate went on CNN and tore into Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying, "Mitch McConnell needs to get off his a-- and do something.” On Sunday, he tweeted: “Republicans need to get their s--- together and stop pandering to the NRA. Period.”

President Trump, for his part, on Monday called for reforms at the intersection of mental health and gun laws -- including so-called "red flag laws" to take guns from those deemed a public risk -- in the wake of the back-to-back mass shootings over the weekend, which left at least 31 people dead in total

In unequivocal terms, the president also condemned white supremacy, responding to reports that the shooter in El Paso wrote a racist manifesto ahead of the violence.

Afterward, McConnell – a Republican who has been lambasted by Democrats for refusing to allow votes on gun control legislation – said Monday he is willing to consider “bipartisan” solutions in the wake of the mass shootings, though he emphasized that he opposes gun control policies that infringe “on Americans’ constitutional rights.”

The political fight over Trump's visit came amid a series of rapid-fire developments in the investigations in both El Paso and Dayton. Crusius was booked on capital murder charges, and authorities said Sunday that he is under investigation for alleged domestic terrorism. Officials were also looking into whether hate crime charges are appropriate.

El Paso District Attorney Jaime Esparza said his office will seek the death penalty against the suspect.

"The loss of life is so great, we certainly have never seen this in our community. We are a very safe community," he told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. "We pride ourselves on the fact that we're so safe, and certainly this community is rocked, shocked and saddened by what has happened here yesterday."

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said Monday that the gunman got lost in a neighborhood before ending up at Walmart "because, we understand, he was hungry." Allen didn't elaborate. Crusius' hometown is the affluent Dallas suburb of Allen.

The police chief said the gun used in the shooting was legally purchased near the suspect's hometown.

In his application for a public defender on Monday, Crusius said he has been unemployed for five months, and has no income, assets or expenses. He claimed he has been living with his grandparents.

Meanwhile, authorities revealed that the gunman in Ohio rampage, 24-year-old Connor Betts, opened fire outside a bar around 1 a.m. Sunday, killing his adult sister and eight others. Police say he was fatally shot by officers within 30 seconds, and was wearing a mask, bulletproof vest, earplugs and had at least 100 rounds.

Authorities provided a dramatic video of officers rushing onto the scene and taking Betts out before he could enter another packed bar.

Police had not determined a motive for the attack as of Monday evening. Reports linked him to left-wing groups and showed that he apparently supported Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Betts was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, police said. If all of the magazines he had with him were full, which hasn't been confirmed, he would have had a maximum of 250 rounds, said Police Chief Richard Biehl.

"It is fundamentally problematic. To have that level of weaponry in a civilian environment is problematic," Biehl added.

Of the more than 30 people injured in Ohio, at least 14 had gunshot wounds; others were hurt as people fled, city officials said. Eleven remained hospitalized Monday, Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne said.

Still unknown is whether Betts targeted any of the victims, including his 22-year-old sister, Megan, the youngest of the dead.

"It seems to just defy believability he would shoot his own sister, but it's also hard to believe that he didn't recognize it was his sister, so we just don't know," Biehl said.

While the gunman was white and six of the nine killed were black, police said the speed of the rampage made any discrimination in the shooting seem unlikely. It all happened within 30 seconds, before police officers stationed nearby fatally shot Betts.

Fox News' Liam Quinn, Brooke Singman, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.




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