and in remembrance. a country now coming together, mourning loved ones lost. "nightline" will be right back. good evening and thanks so much for joining us. the mass shootings rocking the country to its core. 31 people dead and dozens more injured in two separate attacks over the weekend. now the hunt for answers as a nation once again tries to make sense of the senseless. >> run. >> reporter: scenes of chaos. eerily similar. >> go, go! come on! >> reporter: but more than 1500 miles apart. >> i miss her. i'd give my life in trade for hers. >> reporter: stories of loss and heartbreak now spanning the nation. >> i just wish she would just wake up in a hospital and be like i'm okay, it's just a little graze. but she's really gone. >> reporter: two deadly mass shootings leaving 31 dead and 53 injured. once again americans are coming to grips with this tragic reality. everyday people going about their lives, killed in cold blood. this time in el paso at a shopping center. and in dayton in front of a popular bar. the 13 hours of horror first began saturday morning in texas when a gunman opened fire in a walmart parking lot. >> he just walked into walmart very confidently and, you know, it looked like he was on a mission. >> reporter: according to authorities he would later say that mission was to kill as many hispanics as possible. he said that he would strike down unsuspecting shoppers as he walked in. the store packed with thousands of patrons, many there looking for back to school supplies. people hiding, fleeing for their lives. some crawling on the ground seeking cover under benches. the gunfire relentless. [ gunshots ] kendall long ran to the back of the store with his wife kianna taking cover in a metal storage container. >> after these people started running you could hear the different fire rate. he starts pop, pop, pop, he's going for the- he's triggergog, going. >> reporter: some shoppers recording video on their cell phones. [ gunshots ] >> gun in walmart right now. ak. somebody just got shot. >> reporter: within minutes s.w.a.t. teams respond to the reports of an active shooter. >> we need tactical units to go ahead and start responding to the walmart. >> reporter: the entire area placed on lockdown as authorities worked to track down the shooter. and in the midst of the chaos paramedics and everyday citizens stepping in, wheeling the injured out in shopping carts. u.s. army private glendon oakley was at a nearby store and ran toward the sound of the gunfire, picking up lost children in the parking lot and carrying them to safety. >> i don't want to talk about what went on there because i just want to forget about it all. i just want to focus on the people that has lost their loved ones. i don't want to focus on what happened. >> the first thing we heard was three loud shots. but they sounded like fireworks. >> reporter: adrian gonzalez was in the story with her mother when she says she spotted the shooter. >> i saw his expression. he was -- like he didn't care what he was doing. he was just shooting. and shooting. >> reporter: as a military wife she says that instinct kicked in and she tried to save those around her. >> you want to do everything that you can. but then you realize you can't save everybody. >> reporter: one particular person still haunts her. a senior citizen she tried to help but amidst the chaos just couldn't. >> i tried to get her out but she stayed there and the only thing i said quietly was just stay down, don't -- pretend that you're dead. that's what i told her. i haven't heard of her. i'm praying that she is still alive. >> reporter: 22 innocent lives lost and dozens more injured. among those hurt, one as young as two months old. it's believed his mother, 25-year-old jordan anchando, died while shielding him. the baby found covered in blood but alive. his father andre was killed too. abc's david muir spoke with their family. zplt baby had bruises on his head, broken fingers, and he was full of blood. it happened to be his parents' blood on the baby. thankfully he's okay. >> reporter: for hours some family members searched for their loved ones. eddie halburg made this desperate plea for help in finding her 86-year-old mother. >> i got tired of waiting and waiting and waiting and i just want to know where my mom is. >> reporter: today we learned her mother, angie englisbee, was identified as one of those killed. also among the dead, 15-year-old javier rodriguez. the soccer-loving local teen was set to start his sophomore year in high school. many decrying that one life lost is too many. but there's no escaping the fact that these incidents are happening more and more. the gun violence archive puts the number of mass shootings this year at 255. those are incidents where four or more individuals were wounded, not including the gunman. when it comes to the el paso attack, the fbi believes the shooter specifically targeted his victims because they were of hiss t hispanic descent. officials say he traveled more than 600 miles, a ten-hour drive from allen, texas to el paso, a border town that's quietly proud of its mixed heritage. the cielo vista mall where the attack took place, located just five miles from the u.s.-mexico border. many mexican nationals cross the border to shop there. >> we're afraid to go out to walmart. we're afraid to go out to the street because we feel like we're being hunted. i mean, because of our color, skin color. >> reporter: authorities say the shooter first entered the walmart unarmed, scouted the store, and upon seeing the large number of hispanic shoppers exited and minutes later returned armed, as seen by surveillance images obtained by ktsm. [ gunshots ] 20 minutes after the first shot was fired -- >> come on! >> reporter: police would apprehend the suspect just a few blocks from the scene. >> so far we have one subject and he's in custody. >> reporter: authorities say an assault-style rifle similar to an ak-47 and several magazines were recovered from the scene. the suspect, identified as 21-year-old patrick crusius. >> the state charge is capital murder. and so he is eligible for the death penalty. we will seek the death penalty. >> reporter: his attack was detailed and posted on the online message board 8chan just 20 minutes before the shooting. a four-page racist and hate-filled rant decrying what he he referenced as hispanic invasion of texas. >> we are treating it as a domestic terrorism case and we're going to do what we do to terrorists in this country, which is deliver swift and certain justice. >> reporter: that controversial site 8chan is the place that three recent mass shooters chose to announce their terror plans. overnight 8chan's network provider cloudflare took the website down, calling it a cesspool of hate. >> suspects talking about all these jews need to die. >> reporter: this past may fbi officials warned the number of hate crimes by white supremacists in america is on the rise. >> there have been more arrests and deaths in the united states caused by domestic terrorists than international terrorists in recent years. >> reporter: according to the fbi there are approximately 850 domestic terror cases currently being investigated and a significant portion of those cases involve racial and ethnic hatred. earlier today president trump condemned the actions of the shooter. >> in one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. these sinister ideologies must be defeated. hate has no place in america. >> reporter: blaming the dark recesses of the internet. >> we must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts. >> reporter: but democratic candidates pointed to trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric as having contributed to the violence. >> this president sought to make this country afraid of places like el paso and the people who live here. immigrants specifically who he's described as rapists and criminals, warning of an invasion and talking about an infestation. he is in large part responsible for what has taken place. >> el paso's strong. i think we will get through this. we will. >> reporter: over the weekend america's tragic roll call grew a little longer. las vegas, 58 killed. orlando, 49 killed. virginia tech, 32 killed. and now el paso,22 >> this is my home. and it hurts a lot. he took so many innocent lives. >> reporter: another community left grieving, marred by a senseless tragedy. and just 13 hours later in dayton, ohio the nightmare would begin all over again. stay with us. but now... it's thursday. good thing they discovered gain flings, with oxi boost and febreze odor remover. smelling is believing and gain flings can hiyah karate stink too. gain flings. seriously good scent and if you love gain flings, you gotta try the dish soap. o♪ ozempic®! ♪ oh! oh! (announcer) people with type 2 diabetes are excited about the potential of once-weekly ozempic®. in a study with ozempic®, a majority of adults lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7 and maintained it. oh! under 7? (announcer) and you may lose weight. in the same one-year study, adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. oh! up to 12 pounds? (announcer) a two-year study showed that ozempic® does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke, or death. oh! no increased risk? (announcer) ozempic® should not be the first medicine for treating diabetes, or for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may happen,. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase the risk for low blood sugar. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. i discovered the potential with ozempic®. ♪ oh! oh! oh! ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) if eligible, you may pay as little as $25 per prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. (music throughout) alright, so this is how you are going to say... you'll get the best deal of the year on xfinity tv and internet. and you even get this. mike, you're on balloons. sarah, you're gonna high five everybody. ben, you're gonna be wowing them with your dance moves. don't miss the xfinity best deal of the year. now that's simple, easy, awesome. get amazing tv and internet during our best deal of the year. with huge savings of $600 over 2 years. plus a speed upgrade to 400 megs, free for 2 years. and ask about even more savings with xfinity mobile. click, call or visit a store today. they are the bravest among us. without concern for their own safety, they jump into action rs mass shootings happen. abc's eva pilgrim tonight on the heroes in dayton, ohio. >> it's the worst thing i've ever seen in my life. >> reporter: on holly redman's night out she never expected she'd be desperately trying to save a life. >> i saw that he was bleeding, so i put my hands on his wound, and i couldn't get the blood to stop. we tried to save him but he didn't make it. so it was really hard. >> reporter: it began as just another lively summer night in the oregon district of dayton, ohio. but in the small hours of sunday morning chaos erupted. [ gunshots ] >> multiple shots fired downtown, multiple shots fired. >> we're going to need every medic in the area. we've got at least 12 people shot. >> reporter: just after 1:00 a.m. a man carrying a high-capacity rifle opened fire outside of crowded ned pepper's bar, scattering patrons in a wild panic. >> 911 what's the location of your emergency? >> hi. i'm at blind bob's in dayton. it sounded like they tl were just gunshots. there were a lot of people freaked out. >> reporter: alexandra lark came face to face with the shooter as he approached the bar. >> as lees like this and you're looking back and you see the person coming like this in your direction, the only thing you can think to do is go faster, go faster. >> reporter: holly redman and her friend james williams had just left ned pepper's for another bar. >> if we probably had still been sitting there we'd probably be in the line of fire. >> reporter: miraculously, police on the scene in mere moments, killing the shooter just 30 seconds after the first shots rang out. in the aftermath this, a haunting image. survivors scrambling to safety, literally running out of their shoes. now reeling from grief but alive. in less than a minute of gunfire nine lives taken. five men and four women. 26 people now in the hospital, 14 of whom suffered gunshots. tonight redman, who is cpr certified, will forever have this image burned in her mind. the face of a young man she desperately wanted to save. 30-year-old logan turner. >> i held the blood and she would do the compressions and i would lean over with my body weight on his thing and just breathe for him and he started getting good air. >> i'm not sure you'll be able to recognize him from this picture, but if you can. that -- >> yeah, that's him. >> reporter: that's him? >> yeah. and i just feel so -- i just want his parents to know that we did everything possible to save him. like everything. and three people around him. and i was there when he took his last breath. i wanted to talk to them if they wanted to, but it's so hard. i'm sorry. >> reporter: also among the dead, 27-year-old lois oglesby. airiana camp was her friend. >> it's very heartbreaking. i just wish she would just wake up in a hospital and be like hey, y'all, i'm cool, like i'm okay. it was just a little graze. but she's really gone. >> reporter: even the shooter's own sister, megan betts, killed in the barrage. investigators still don't know if that was intentional. >> it seems to just defy believability he would shoot his own sister. but it's also hard to believe that he didn't recognize that was his sister. so we just don't know. >> reporter: police have identified the shooter as 24-year-old connor steven betts. they've searched his home but haven't given a motive as of yet. >> just based on where we're at now, we are not seeing any indication of race being a motive. but we are not through all the evidence. >> reporter: as investigators scour the shooter's background, two former high school classmates who wish to remain anonymous now coming forward. the two told abc news they weren't surprised he turned violent. >> i was immediately concerned that it was connor. connor would talk about shooting people. he would talk about revenge a lot, particularly with women. >> reporter: they say the shooter was known for being dark, at one point suspended in high school for making a hit list. their accounts confirmed to abc news by their parents. >> he did make a list of women that he wanted to kill. many of whom i was friends with. >> i was on that list. >> he asked me out and i said no and he had a very, very scary reaction. he was always a fan of making imaginary guns and pretending to shoot people. >> there were a lot of points where something could have been done, where people could have intervened. and i feel like if people knew that and understood, that like there were very clear warning signs. that they'll hopefully take that and apply it to future cases. >> on the night of the shooting the gunman wore a mask, body armor, and hearing protection. a shotgun left stashed in his car. police say betts was carrying these. 100-round capacity magazines. and fired at least 41 times. >> to have that level of weaponry in a civilian environment unregulated is problematic. >> reporter: police say all of this was purchased legally and there's nothing in the shooter's available record that would have prevented him from buying a gun. this latest mass shooting renewing calls for action. ohio governor mike dewine drowned out during a candlelight vigil on sunday by calls to do something. >> do something! do something! >> reporter: as shooting deaths for this year alone slide into the hundreds, nearly every bill aimed at stopping mass shootings has stalled in the senate. so today's grim reality forcing more and more americans in a position to have to act. even as lawmakers have not. >> why >> that's what people say. run, run. i said no, i'm running to them. i'm helping. i heard people hollering for help. i don't know. i'm not the type to ran away. i ran to the situation. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm eva pilgrim in dayton, ohio. next -- remembering those lost in el paso and dayton. (vo) ♪ sleep this amazing? that's a zzzquil pure zzzs sleep. our liquid has a unique botanical blend, while an optimal melatonin level means no next day grogginess. zzzquil pure zzzs. naturally superior sleep. there was no hesitation, i went straight to ctca. after my mastectomy, it was maddening because i felt part of my identity was being taken away. when you're able to restore what cancer's taken away, you see that transformation firsthand knowing that she had options that she could choose, helped restore hope. my team made me feel like a whole person again. cancer treatment centers of america. appointments available now. cancer treatment centers of america. alice loves the smell of gain so much, she wished it came in a fabric softener too. [throat clears] say hello to your fairy godmother, alice. oh and look they got gain scent beads and dryer sheets too! to the wait did frowe just win-ners. prouders everyone uses their phone differently. that's why xfinity mobile created a different kind of wireless network. with a different way to do data. one designed to save you money. now you can share data between lines. mix with unlimited, and switch it up at anytime design your own data with xfinity mobile. it's wireless reimagined. simple. easy. awesome. ♪ ♪ ♪ has been excellent. they really appreciate the military family and it really shows. with allhaffs why go with anybody else? we know their rates are good, we know that they're always going to take care of us. it was an instant savings and i should have changed a long time ago. it was funny because when we would call another insurance company, hey would say "oh we can't beat usaa" we're the webber family. we're the tenney's we're the hayles, and we're usaa members for life. ♪ get your usaa auto insurance quote today. dand steaks aren't just for dinner.st... and right now we can have both for less because with choice sirloin...

Related Keywords

Mexico , El Paso , Texas , United States , Dayton , Ohio , Virginia , Oregon , Jordan , Americans , Mexican , Connor Steven Betts , Megan Betts , Las Vegas , Logan Turner , America Alice , Adrian Gonzalez , Holly Redman , James Williams , Connor , Lois Oglesby , David Muir ,