Two mass shootings occurred in the United States in the span of a harrowing 13 hours on Saturday and Sunday.
The first took place in El Paso where a 21-year-old gunman identified as Patrick Crusius allegedly shot and killed at least 20 people and wounded at least 26 others in a crowded Walmart in the border city. The suspect was taken into custody by police and authorities said they are investigating an anti-immigrant manifesto posted online describing an attack in response to "the Hispanic invasion of Texas," which may have been written by Crusius, who is white.
Hours later, at least nine people were killed and 26 others were injured after a shooting in Dayton early on Sunday morning. The suspect, who was wearing body armor and has yet to be identified, was reportedly shot and killed by police.
Police believe the suspect acted alone, but the investigation is ongoing with help from the FBI. The shooting took place around 1 a.m. on Sunday in Dayton's Oregon District, a popular downtown area. The incident was reportedly over quickly, despite the high number of casualties, because officers were already patrolling the area when the gunshots began.
The shootings, which were reportedly the 21st and 22nd mass killings in the U.S. in 2019, occurred six days after a gunman killed three people at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California.