Ohio gun reform urged as Texas Dems wave off Trump

DAYTON, Ohio -- Ohio's Republican governor bucked his party to call for expanded gun laws Tuesday, and some Democrats in Texas told President Donald Trump to stay away as both states reeled from a pair of shootings in which 31 people died.

A racist screed remained the focus of police investigating the massacre at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, while the FBI opened an investigation into the mass shooting in Dayton, citing the gunman's interest in violent ideology.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine urged the GOP-led state Legislature to pass laws requiring background checks for nearly all gun sales and allowing courts to restrict firearms access for people perceived as threats.

Persuading the Legislature to pass such proposals could be an uphill battle. It has given little consideration this session to those and other gun-safety measures already introduced by Democrats and DeWine's Republican predecessor, John Kasich, also unsuccessfully pushed for a so-called red flag law on restricting firearms for people considered threats.

"We can come together to do these things to save lives," DeWine said.

On Tuesday, the FBI opened an investigation into the mass shooting at a popular Dayton nightlife district to try to determine what ideologies influenced 24-year-old gunman Connor Betts.

Special Agent Todd Wickerham, head of the FBI's Cincinnati field office, said the agency is looking into who might have helped Betts and why he chose his specific target.

Wickerham didn't say whether the FBI is looking at treating the case as domestic terrorism, as it did in the Texas mass shooting earlier in the weekend.

President Donald Trump was planning visits to both cities today, an announcement meeting some resistance in El Paso.

Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso made clear the president was not welcome in her hometown as it mourned. Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, who was an El Paso congressman for six years, also said Trump should stay away.

Escobar said Tuesday victims' families were already using the city's newly opened resource center where various government and mental health services have set up booths.

"We've got to make sure that folks have access to mental health care. There's going to be a lot of trauma in our community, a lot of children saw things that no human being should see," Escobar said.

A woman who said she briefly dated the Ohio gunman said he suffered from bipolar disorder, joked about his dark thoughts and exhibited a fascination with mass shootings.

Adelia Johnson wrote in an online essay the man showed her a video of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on their first date.

She said he expressed "uncontrollable urges" she called "red flags," which eventually led her to call things off in May.