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Local journalists are reporting on the crowds awaiting the president in Dayton. Trump has just landed in Ohio.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have landed in Dayton, Ohio.

The visit comes amid tensions with some local residents and leaders saying he should not have come.

The mayor of Dayton, Nan Whaley, has criticised Trump and said she was "disappointed" in his recent remarks.

But she added she would meet him upon his arrival.

"When he comes as president I will greet him. I hope he’s coming here to add value and to help our community, and I hope it’s not about just a press hit and I hope it’s about him actually doing something," she told reporters.

The BBC's Angélica Casas shares images from El Paso as the city recovers - and awaits President Trump.

Image source, Getty Images

The gun debate is one of the most divisive issues in America.

But what is the basis for the right to bear arms in this country? And what key events have helped shape the debate?

These four dates explain how we got here.

In an explosive interview with CNN, Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan called on Republicans in Congress to help pass gun control legislation, even if it poses a risk to their re-election prospects.

"Do something," he said, using an expletive.

"What are we here for? This is a citizens' legislature. Why are you in Congress? Why are you in Congress? You have the opportunity to actually save lives."

A string of mass shootings has left many US residents and visitors feeling uneasy in public spaces.

Earlier this summer, China issued a warning about US travel, cautioning citizens to assess the risks in light of US gun violence.

In Times Square last night, a motorbike backfire caused mass panic as people fled in fear of gunfire.

After last year's school shooting in Parkland, Florida, research by the Pew Research Center suggested most US teens fear a shooting in their own school.

On the anniversary of the Parkland tragedy, the BBC spoke to students around the world about what they think about the attacks on US schools.

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A number of Walmart employees are calling for the retail giant to stop selling guns and ammunition in the wake of the El Paso shooting and an earlier shooting at a Mississippi outlet that left two dead.

Workers at a California Walmart are organising a walkout on Wednesday in protest.

Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, said on Tuesday that the company will "be thoughtful and deliberate in our responses".

So far, the store's stance on guns - including sales and open-carry policies - has not changed.

An online petition launched by the employees has garnered nearly 20,000 signatures.

Read more about the backlash here.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson told his viewers on Tuesday night that white supremacist violence is "actually not a real problem in America".

"This is a hoax, just like the Russia hoax. It’s a conspiracy theory used to divide the country and keep a hold on power."

People on social media were quick to condemn his comments, which came just weeks after FBI director Christopher Wray testified to Congress about the threat of white supremacists.

After the Community Blood Center in Dayton put out a call for blood donations in the wake of Sunday's mass shootings, residents came out in support. The centre has seen three times more donations than usual, with many from first-time donors.

Image source, Getty Images

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Image source, Getty Images

The famed baby Trump balloon is making another appearance, this time in Dayton.

About 40% of Americans say they own a gun or live in a household with one, according to a 2017 survey, external, and the rate of murder or manslaughter by firearm is the highest in the developed world.

While it is difficult to know exactly how many guns civilians own around the world, by every estimate the US with more than 390 million is far out in front.

Here's a look at America's gun culture in 10 charts

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown shared a statement ahead of Trump's visit to his state.

Brown had initially said he would not meet the president, citing his divisive rhetoric and unwillingness to take action on guns.

During a speech at an African-American church in South Carolina where a white supremacist gunman killed nine people in 2015, Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker condemned the US president's rhetoric.

"The act of anti-Latino, anti-immigrant hatred we witnessed this weekend did not start with the hand that pulled the trigger," he said.

"It was sowed by a president who spews hateful rhetoric and endangers the lives of people of colour and immigrants in this country."

Trump told reporters his trips to Dayton and El Paso to pay his respects is "a terrific opportunity to congratulate some of the police and law enforcement, the job they've done is incredible".

Trump also said his rhetoric "brings people together".

Image source, Reuters

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Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: "I am concerned about the rise of any group of hate, I don't like it, whether it's white supremacy, whether it's any other kind of supremacy, whether it's Antifa."

"I'm very concerned about it and I'll do something about it."

Authorities are investigating the El Paso shooting as a possible case of "domestic terrorism". A shooting at a food festival in Gilroy, California, in July, is also being investigated as such.

So how big a threat is this kind of terror and how is the US combating it? The BBC's Tara McKelvey explains.

Army Specialist Glendon Oakley, who is being hailed as a hero after he ran towards the gunshots in El Paso and pulled several children to safety, says he is "focused on the kids that I could not get and the families that were lost".

Children's baseball coaches Jimmy Villatoro and Ramon Garcia also drove to the Walmart car park after hearing about the shooting and moved children there to a safe location.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

It's become a familiar refrain after every mass shooting in the US. Will this time be different?

Will outrage over the violence compel political action, as it has done in the UK after Dunblane, Australia after Port Arthur and, most recently, New Zealand after Christchurch?

Among gun control activists, there is a certain amount of resignation whenever a new incident splashes across the headlines. If public sentiment did not force action after the 2012 Newtown shooting, when 26 people - including 20 young children - were killed in a Connecticut school, then nothing will ever change.

If the double tragedy of El Paso and Dayton ends up being different, however, here are a few possible explanations.

Read the full analysis here.

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Republican Mayor Donald "Dee" Margo tells CNN this morning that though he understands there is "a lot of emotional pain and concern" over the president's visit, he will meet Trump because it is his duty to do so.

"We're gonna need some help and I'm going to talk to him about that."

He says it will take time for the city's residents to heal, adding the process will probably not begin until funerals for all the victims have been held.

Image source, Reuters

Trump spoke to reporters as he left for Dayton.

"I’m looking to do background checks," he said. "They’re important...Don’t want guns in the hands of sick people."

The president had mentioned background checks in his initial Twitter response to the shootings, but he did not bring up the policy idea later in his address.

He told reporters there is a "strong appetite for background checks" and that Democrats and Republicans were getting close to formulating a bill.

But why hasn't the US banned military-style weaponry or enacted universal background checks despite repeated mass shootings?

The BBC's Anthony Zurcher explains, comparing the US to New Zealand.

Vigils have taken place nationwide as the country grieves over the recent shootings. In Dayton, a Sunday night vigil saw brief protests, with mourners challenging the governor to "do something".

Here's what we know about the victims.

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