20 killed 26 injured in Texas NEW mass shooting in Ohio

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Deadly mass shooting at US shopping mall

At least 15 people have been killed in a shooting at a Texas shopping mall, US media reports say

The shooting happened at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, just a few miles from the US-Mexico border.

At least 22 people, including young children, are being treated at local hospitals following the attack.

A white man in his 20s is in custody and he is believed to be the sole shooter, a police spokesman said. He was unable to provide casualty figures.

"We don't want to do anything prematurely until we have accurate facts for you," Sergeant Robert Gomez said.

The first reports of a shooting emerged at about 11:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

There were reports of gunfire in several locations - in both the Cielo Vista mall and the nearby Walmart, police said - but reports of further gunshots at another nearby mall, Bassett, were not true.

Police said the Walmart was "at capacity" with back-to-school shoppers at the time of the attack.

"Initial reports of the weapon was a rifle - I can't confirm that yet," Sgt Gomez said.

He did not identify the suspect, but said he was a white male in his 20s. No officers had fired their weapons in apprehending him, he said.

CCTV images said to be of the gunman and circulated on US media show a young white man in a dark T-shirt, wearing ear protectors and brandishing an assault-style rifle.

A man who was in the shopping centre at the time of the attack recalled the moment that he found out about the shooting.

"They were employees, they were coming in, and they would tell me that they heard some gunshots and that people just started bolting straight into the store in order to get to cover. In the meantime I was just trying to stay calm, but I was freaking out internally," he told CBS News.

Another witness, Glendon Oakly, told CNN that he was in a sporting goods store inside the shopping centre when a child ran inside "telling us there's an active shooter at Walmart".

Mr Oakly said no-one took the child's report seriously, but just minutes later he heard two gunshots.

"I just thought about getting the kids out of the way," he said.

Police said they no longer believed there was any immediate threat to the public, but were continuing searches. A family reunification area had been set up nearby for those searching for loved ones.

El Paso Police Department tweeted that blood donations were "needed urgently".
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What reaction has there been?

"This is a tragedy that we never, ever would have thought would happen in El Paso," El Paso Mayor Dee Margo told CNN. "It tears me up."

US President Donald Trump said the reports coming from the area were "very bad, many killed".

In a statement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said El Paso had been "struck by a heinous and senseless act of violence".

"Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific shooting and to the entire community in this time of loss," the governor said.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has abandoned a campaign event in Las Vegas to return to his hometown of El Paso.

Earlier, he spoke at a labour forum, telling the crowd the shooting shattered any illusion that gun reform will "come of its own accord" in the US.

"We know that there's a lot of injury, a lot of suffering in El Paso right now," he said.

Other Democratic presidential candidates also responded to the shooting with calls for gun control.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker was among them, saying the US seems to be "accepting the idea that these [shootings] are going to be a regular occurrence".

Walmart, which has a store on the site of the Cielo Vista Mall, said it was "in shock over the tragic events" and was "working closely with law enforcement".

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Texas mass shooting leaves 20 dead

Twenty people have been killed and 26 injured in a mass shooting in the Texas city of El Paso

Governor Greg Abbott described it as "one of the most deadly days in the history of Texas".

The massacre happened at a Walmart store near the Cielo Vista Mall, a few miles from the US-Mexican border.

A 21-year-old man is in custody. Police said the suspect was a resident of the Dallas-area city of Allen, about 650 miles (1,046km) east of El Paso.

He has been named by US media as Patrick Crusius.

US President Donald Trump described the attack as "an act of cowardice".

"I know that I stand with everyone in this country to condemn today's hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people", he wrote on Twitter.

The victims of the attack have not yet been named. However, Mexico's President Manuel Lopez Obrador said three Mexicans were among those killed, Reuters news agency reports.

The attack came less than a week after a teenage gunman killed three people at a California food festival. The Texas shooting has been dubbed the eighth deadliest in modern US history.

"We as a state unite in support of these victims and their family members," Mr Abbott said.

"We must do one thing today, one thing tomorrow and each and every day after this - we must unite."

The police and FBI are investigating whether an anonymous white nationalist "manifesto", shared on an online forum, was written by the gunman. The document says the attack was targeted at the local Hispanic community.
What happened?

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said reports of an active shooter were received at 10:39 local time (16:39 GMT), and law enforcement officers were on the scene within six minutes.

The Walmart was full of shoppers buying back-to-school supplies at the time of the attack.

The 21-year-old is the only suspect in custody over the attack, and police say no officers fired their weapons while arresting him.

Mr Allen said the ages of victims were "numerous" as he described the situation as "horrific".

El Paso Police Department had earlier tweeted that blood donations were "needed urgently".

Kianna Long said she was at the Walmart with her husband when they heard gunfire.

"People were panicking and running, saying that there was a shooter," Ms Long told Reuters news agency. "They were running close to the floor, people were dropping on the floor."

Ms Long said she and her husband ran through a stock room before taking cover with other customers.

Another witness, Glendon Oakly, told CNN that he was in a sporting goods store inside the nearby shopping mall when a child ran inside "telling us there's an active shooter at Walmart".

Mr Oakly said no-one took the child's claim seriously, but just minutes later he heard two gunshots.

"I just thought about getting the kids out of the way," he said.

What has been the wider reaction?

The latest mass shooting in the United States has led to an outpouring of sympathy, but also led to fresh calls for gun control.

Walmart tweeted that it was "in shock over the tragic events" and was "working closely with law enforcement".

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke abandoned a campaign event in Las Vegas to return to his home town.

Earlier, he spoke at a labour forum, telling the crowd the shooting shattered any illusion that gun reform will "come of its own accord" in the US.

"We know that there's a lot of injury, a lot of suffering in El Paso right now," he said.

Other Democratic presidential candidates also responded to the shooting with calls for gun control.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker was among them, saying the US seems to be "accepting the idea that these [shootings] are going to be a regular occurrence".

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, however, said gun control would probably not have stopped the attack.

He added that if a "crazy" gunman launched such an attack, there was no way that law enforcement officers could be there to stop it.

"The best way is to be prepared to defend yourself," he told CBS News.

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Police respond to mass shooting
in Dayton, Ohio

Police are responding to reports of a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, where a number of people are thought to have been hit

First reports came in at about 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT) of a shooting outside a bar in the Oregon district of the city.

Casualties have been taken to a number of hospitals, according to local media.

The incident came hours after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas which left at least 20 people dead.

Police have appealed for witnesses.

Footage posted on social media showed people running as dozens of gunshots echoed through the streets.

It is thought the shooting took place outside Ned Peppers Bar on E 5th Street. An Instagram post on the bar's page said all their staff were safe.

Jae Williams told the BBC he was at a nearby rap performance when they were told to evacuate.

"I was very shocked," he said. "We all evacuated quickly and safely. We were told to avoid the Oregon district."

"I got to my car, I could see cops, multiple ambulances. When I drove past I saw a lot of cops and ambulances."

Emergency services gathered at the corner of E 5th Street and Wayne Avenue in the wake of the shooting.

FBI agents also arrived at the scene.

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