Lauren Turner
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

El Paso is one of the closest and most friendly communities you could imagine.

This week, at the height of their grief, residents have been welcoming journalists from around the world with open arms, thanking them for coming to show what their city is really like - a place of safety, unity and love. They've been giving out water and snacks to media as well as giving out hugs.

But in a largely Democratic area, it's unclear how Trump will be received when he visits later today. Many have expressly said he is not welcome.

One woman was weeping as she visited the makeshift shrine that's been set up to victims outside Walmart yesterday. There are 22 white crosses, each bearing a victim's name. There are candles too, flowers, and posters where people can leave messages of love for El Paso.

"We never have this in El Paso - never, ever," she cried. "For me, Trump is guilty. We are never going to be as we were."

But her daughter interrupts: "We will. We will stand up. That's the thing about El Paso. We are not going to let this stop us, we will come together as one."

She adds that they wanted to be at the site, not because they knew any of the victims personally, but because: "Everybody is family in El Paso. We are all as one. We have never felt hurt like this before."

MSNBC host Nicole Wallace is apologising for falsely saying on her programme on Monday afternoon that Trump is "talking about exterminating Latinos".

Her remarks were widely condemned as dangerous in today's volatile atmosphere.

Trump has talked about an "invasion" of immigrants, causing "infestations" in US cities.

Wallace had been an aide to Republican President George W Bush. She apologised on Tuesday for her remark.

It comes as Fox News host Tucker Carlson faced a backlash for calling white supremacy "a hoax" invented by Democrats trying to divide the country.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham is sharing tidbits of the president's conversation with families.

Trump has yet to make a media appearance since landing in Ohio.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

There are Trump supporters present as well.

Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro is under scrutiny for tweeting the names and employers of 44 prominent Trump campaign donors in Texas.

Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump's re-election campaign, told US media: "Democrats want to talk about inciting violence? This naming of private citizens and their employers is reckless and irresponsible.

"He is endangering the safety of people he is supposed to be representing," he said.

Castro later responded by saying critics were trying to "distract" from Trump's rhetoric, which Democrats have condemned as racist.

"No one was targeted or harassed in my post," he said.

Donor information is freely available through Federal Election Commission records, as the BBC's Anthony Zurcher points out.

Senator Bob Menendez and other Democrats are pushing for a ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds, saying they are only good for "high capacity killing".

Former CIA director John Brennan - who has been an outspoken critic of President Trump - called for gun control and "moral, honest, & comptent leadership".

Brennan was director of the CIA when the alleged Russian meddling took place and stepped down after Trump won the election.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Two days after the US was shocked by mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the president made his first extended public statement on the attacks.

In a 10-minute White House speech, Mr Trump offered condolences, praised law enforcement and condemned the "racism, bigotry and white supremacy" he said motivated the El Paso gunman.

Mr Trump's speech made vague references to "great legislation" and called for an end to "destructive partisanship" after outlining a series of five proposals of various levels of detail and practicality.

What are they, and what might they mean?

Read the full analysis here.

Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, who represented El Paso in Congress for six years, is still tweeting after Trump told him on Tuesday to "be quiet".

Kellyanne Conway, a top aide to the president, has defended Trump against criticism that he is stoking division.

When asked about other countries warning their citizens against travel here due to gun violence, she called the US "a safe and welcoming country".

The US, she says, is "a very safe nation that has been wrapped with tragic back-to-back tragedies the last couple days that have shaken all of us and, I'm sure, have shaken those who are abroad thinking of coming here."

The White House has invited tech companies to discuss violent online extremism on Friday, the Washington Post reports, external.

Senior administration officials will speak with company representatives, a spokesman said, but no further details were offered.

The president has pledged to tackle the spread of hate online in the wake of the two shootings.

"We must recognise that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalise disturbed minds and perform demented acts. We must shine light on the dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they start," Trump had said during his address this week.

White House spokesman Judd Deere says the president will visit Miami Valley Hospital to meet first responders, hospital staff, victims and families.

The family of 24-year-old gunman Connor Betts said in a statement they are "shocked and devastated". Betts' sister, Megan, was also among the victims of Sunday's shooting.

"The Betts family would like to express their enormous gratitude and love for everyone that has reached out and given their support during this awful time."

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In the face of tragedy, the American public has come to expect US presidents to serve as "consoler in chief" - soothing the nation’s frayed nerves and giving voice to its grief.

This is a relatively new role for the American chief executive, made possible in part by the ease of modern travel and the spread of mass media. It’s also a role with which the current president has sometimes struggled.

By now the pattern is familiar. After a mass shooting or other tragedy, Trump gives a televised speech, complete with references to religious scripture, expressions of sympathy for the affected and praise for first responders.

Then, in the following days, the off-the-cuff president – the one who loves firing off tweets, riffing to crowds at campaign rallies and giving impromptu press conferences – undermines his scripted rhetoric.

Image source, Getty Images

After Charlottesville, the president described some among the crowd of the torch-bearing white supremacists as "very fine people". During a photo-op in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, Trump glibly tossed paper towels at an aid station and feuded with the territory’s public officials.

The president’s response to the Parkland school shooting, while widely praised, included suggesting the FBI may have missed warning signs because it was preoccupied with the Russia election-meddling investigation.

Mr Trump has the challenge of following President Barack Obama, who fully embraced the consoler role. His visible emotion after the Newtown school shooting in 2012 and his impromptu rendition of Amazing Grace three years later at a memorial service for the pastor killed in the Charleston were two of the more dramatic moments of his presidency.

WATCH: Obama sings Amazing Grace at Charleston funeral

George W Bush comforted and inspired a nation when he spoke to first responders amidst the rubble of the World Trade Centre and gave a heartfelt memorial address at the National Cathedral.

Ronald Reagan, a gifted communicator, perhaps created the “consoler-in-chief” role, with his “touch the face of God” address from the Oval Office following the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster.

Mr Trump has notable political abilities – ones that have allowed him to rocket to the highest office in the US. He has yet to demonstrate, however, that public displays of empathy are a reliable part of his skill set.

Image source, Getty Images

Dozens of protesters are awaiting Trump's visit to the Miami Valley Hospital, where he plans to meet victims and emergency responders.

Some have signs welcoming Trump to "Toledo", another Ohio city incorrectly mentioned by Trump on Monday in a national address.

On Tuesday night, around 50 protesters gathered outside Dayton city hall to chant "do something" and call on officials to reject Trump's visit.

"The city needs to heal right now. We are so stressed," protester Megan Fiely, told the Dayton Daily News., external

"We’re not a photo opportunity for Trump."

Democratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar reiterated her support for gun control while speaking in Iowa today.

Tara McKelvey
BBC News

People are once again debating gun laws and what it means to display a weapon.

In most states, people are allowed to carry guns openly.

In Texas, I’ve seen people carrying guns on their belts while they walk through parking lots and other public places.

Some people say that this open display of weapons - by law-abiding citizens - makes them feel safer.

They have back-up in case there’s an attack. But not everybody is happy about it.

Congressman Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, has flipped his stance on gun control after his daughter fled the Dayton shooting.

On Tuesday, he announced his support of a ban on military-style weapon sales to civilians, magazine limits, and red flag legislation.

“The carnage these military style weapons are able to produce when available to the wrong people is intolerable," Turner wrote, external.

"We must pass red flag legislation to quickly identify people who are dangerous and remove their ability to harm others. Too often after mass shootings, we hear there were early warning signs that were ignored.

"I believe these are necessary steps forward in protecting our country and a testament to American values, which include protecting human life."

Turner said he plans to discuss the policies with President Trump during today's visit.