Trump praises law enforcement after 29 killed in two mass shootings

US President Donald Trump said law enforcement was very rapid in both instances. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON (DPA) - US President Donald Trump on Sunday (Aug 4) praised the efforts of law enforcement after two mass shootings within 24 hours killed at least 29 people in the US states of Texas and Ohio.

"The FBI, local and state law enforcement are working together in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio. Information is rapidly being accumulated in Dayton. Much has already (been) learned in El Paso," Trump said in a tweet.

"Law enforcement was very rapid in both instances. Updates will be given throughout the day!"

On Saturday, police suspect a 21-year-old gunman attacked a busy Walmart shopping centre in El Paso, Texas, killing 20 people, in a possible hate crime.

Hours later, in the early morning hours on Sunday, a shooter killed at least nine people in Dayton, Ohio, in the city's entertainment district.

The El Paso shooting was the eighth deadliest in US history.

The string of mass shootings come after a shooter attacked a food festival in Gilroy, California, last week, killing three people.

The US has been grappling for years with gun violence and mass shootings.

Democratic lawmakers have called for stricter requirements on purchasing weapons and a ban on certain assault-style rifles that have been frequently used in mass shootings.

But many Republican lawmakers have resisted gun control efforts, saying they impede constitutional rights and contend that mass shooters would be stopped sooner if more people carried guns.

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