and when family needs each other, we are there for one another. >> we have lots of challenging days ahead but you know dayton is fearless. >> this morning a nation returns to work after two mass shootings in less than 24 hours leaving 29 the roic mom who risked her life to save her baby. the first responders and more on the 21-year-old accused of opening fire in a walmart. then in dayton, outside a crowded bar, managing to kild we carnage lead to any new gun

laws a special edition of "early today" starts right now. good morning i'm frances rivera >> and i'm phillip mena in el paso, texas. the nation is in mourning today after the deadliest and darkest 13 hours in the country, with back so back mass shootings here in el paso, texas, and in dayton, ohio here in el paso, chaos and gunfire erupted at a walmart near the cielo vista mall. the gunman opening fire on dozens of families on a busy saturday morning, killing 20 people and injuring 26 others. >> special coverage on "early today" with phillip in his hometown of el paso. no doubt covering another mass t especially so, phillip, when it happens where you grew up, where your family is, and when are you call home. >> reporter: >> it'l, frances on saturday i was getting ready to go to work and anchor an hour of msnbc and i got that email

alert, and it started to -- it didn't really hit until i started to flooded with text messages from my mom and then from friends. and then i started getting alerts and then my mom told me that my aunt and my cousin were inside that cielo vista mall we were talking about and they ran out before they locked the doors thankfully, they are okay, and we learned later that the shooting was confined to the walmart parking area, but it is such a jolt. mile brother is a firefighter, a first responder who is among those first on the scene here. it is something that has hit home in a way i've never experienced before this entire community has been jolted, shocked that something el pasos can happen in a plac it was -- most of the family is here they were going back to school shopping they had to dive for cover just to escape the gunshots but some, they were not so lucky. one couple died trying to shield

their baby jordan's family spoke with our own lester holt about that >> it's someone like, we're here at the unification center. we're praying to god that -- >> the baby suffered two fractures and some bruises, but miraculously survived. the family also leaves behind two toddlers ages 2 and 5. witnesses say the rampage started out in the parking lot with the alleged gunman shooting his way into the store nbc's miguel almaguer has the details. >> reporter: as the onslaught s 10:39 a.m. >> they were p shot, covered in blood >> reporter: the active shooter

spraying round after round into a crowd of families shopping for school supplies. the gunman seen here with his ak-47-style rifle wearing eye protection >> once he saw people start running from them, pop, pop, pop, pop it just increased rapid fire to get as much people as et could to kill. >> reporter: with frantic shoppers running for cover and others paralyzed by fear, stores at the nearby mall go into lockdown >> you have to run down. >> the shooter is that way >> reporter: 10:45 a.m., six minutes after the killing spree began, police arrive soon after, the suspect patrick crusius surrenders investigators say they found a racist manifesto and the 21-year-old was targeting certain viims. >> the suspect has been cooperative, in what way >> he's volunteering information pretty much on his own >> reporter: he said he expected to die, but he surrendered >> yes >> reporter: 20 dead and dozens

injured, the wounded were everywhere shopping carts becoming stretchers >> blood everywhere, and i said, i need to find my daughter >> reporter: many desperate to find loved ones. >> i got tired of waiting and waiting and waiting and i want to know where my mom is. >> reporter: keyana long survived the gunfire >> he barely got to see life >> reporter: with victims ranging in age from 2 to 82 years old, some of the injured remain in critical condition >> level one, level one. >> reporter: off duty army specialist glenn oakley saved children separated from their parents. >> it hurts me, like i lost -- like they were part of me. >> reporter: a community in shock and in grief this time after a shooting at a walmart packed with families >> miguel, thank you unlike so many other mass shootings, the alleged gunman in this killing spree has surrendered. patrick crusius is being held on

a capital murder charge in allen, texas federal authorities are now investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. joining me here in el paso is morgan chesky. so, morgan, what else have we learned about the alleged shooter? >> we know right now he is in custody. he has been interrogated by authorities at this point in time and when we heard from them earlier today, they were very clear to say he is cooperating with authorities at this point in time, but they wouldn't elaborate as to exactly what he was saying as it relates to this attack that took place yesterday. when he made that drive from dallas where we believe he is from, here to el paso, took that ak-47 into that walmart and opened fire, unleashing so many rounds and killing 20 people we know right now he's 21 years old. we don't believe he's had y criminal past at this point in time, and he is facing charges, as you mention the, on state capital murder charges but also federal charges including hate crime and federal firearms charges. that charge in particular could bring a potential death penalty if he is convicted

right now we know that he isn't really expressing much, if anything, to authorities here, but we do know that over the coming days this is just the beginning of a very long investigation. and we have fbi presence in dallas they're going through his home we are also told they went through two other areas there on search warrants in hopes of gathering whatever evidence they could. this scene behind us right now i can tell you is going to be scoured by authorities going forward. we learned from el paso police today they're going to keep the vehicles here locked down in this area for at least the next couple days because they still have so much more to gather here in this scene as they try to build this case going forward in hopes of having the best evidence to prosecute this individual who brought so much pain to this community >> he did. this is a developing situation as far as than chesky joining ml paso morgan, thank you so much. of course, el pasois morning. less than 13 hours after the violence here, there was another

horrifying scene in dayton, e a gunman killed nine people and wounded 27 others ing, some of the video you are about to see is disturbing >> this is a really popular parts of dayton, lots of bars and restaurants here on a saturday night it was filled with people it was almost last call when the shooting happened. it happened outside a popular bar in the oregon district of downtown dayton. >> one man, multiple shots >> reporter: video released when the shooting started just after 1:00 a.m., the shooter walking up an alley then firing dozens of rounds into a crowded street. nearbya people waiting to get into ned pepper's bar. as people ran for cover, it took police less than a minute to take down 24-year-old connor betts who they say wore eat s nn approximately 30 seconds of the

suspect firing his first shot. >> reporter: but he had alread . among the dead, the gunman's 22-year-old sister megan, the youngest of the victims. police saying the shooter and his sister drove to the district together but separated at some point later in the evening it is unclear if megan betts was targeted on purpose. >> due to the short, very short time line of violence, it's hard to imagine that there was much discrimination in the shooting >> reporter: terrified patrons sought cover in a bathroom and behind the bar, trying to find a safe place one heart breaking photo shows the dozens of shoes left behind in the chaos >> when you're in the midst of it you don't know how you're going to react, where the bullets are coming from, if you're going to get the bullet next >> reporter: dayton's mayor praising the police officer response >> if the police officers hadn't done that, he would have gone into ned pepper's and hundreds of people would have died.

>> reporter: the mayor proud, too, how the cpi responded >> the grit and resilience, always sticking today, never giving up, always coming together is why i'm so honored to be the mayor of this city >> reporter: the city has been through a lot in the past year i often come here to report on the opioid epidemic. it's take not a lot of lives here in may they had a string of tornadoes pass through now this tragedy we are already seeing this community really pull together, though phillip? >> kate, thank you you know, it's hooard to imagine the fear those people s the shooting took place. everything unfolded so quickly and with such deadly results nbc's gabe gutierrez is also in dayton and he spoke with some of the survivors. >> reporter: it was chaos, eyewitnesses say, sheer carnage in dayton's historic oregon district >> i literally looked down and everybody was on the ground, and it was so loud i mean, i just freaked out and started running. >> reporter: taylor marbury was

inside this crowded bar. she and a dozen terrified bystanders took cover in the bathroom not sure if people desperately banging to get in could be the gunman. >> it sounded like the shots were coming closer they wanted to get in the bathroom i thought it was over. >> reporter: you didn't think you were going to survive? >> no, i didn't think we were going to get out of the bathroom >> reporter: authorities identified the nine people who were killed including the shooter's 22-year-old sister megan betts. >> i looked down the sidewalk and just see a row of -- there were a lot of bodies people shot. some alive, some not >> reporter: kayla miller was also inside the bar celebrating a friend's birthday. did you know they were gunshots right away? >> it was like, i mean, it ever was just crawling towards the back exit, just fighting each

other to get out of the bar. >> reporter: but in her struggle to survive, the heroic instinct kicked in. a trained nurse, she performed cpr on other victims >> i'm grateful to be able to be alive and to talk to my family and friends and tell them that i'm okay, but for these families, it's just not fair >> reporter: most of the wounded here in dayton have now been treated and released from several hospitals. at least one remains in serious condition. phillip? >> gabe, thank you and, frances, those nine people that were shot and killed in dayton and the 20 that were killed here in el paso, o wrapad around the fact that we've had more mass shootings this year in the united states than there have been days >> it's awful to think last weekend there was one in california and this weekend these two. phillip, we'll check in with you a little bit later thank you.

let's take a turn now and get a check of our day ahead and the weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. good morning, bill >> good morning to you, frances. we have a dangerous day today in areas of the northern plains weaver going to see wind damage possibility of even large hail mostly talking nebraska, wisconsin, southern minnesota. and also portions of iowa. we'll get your typical scattered afternoon storms in the southeast. highest concentration are in the coastal areas. by the time we get to wednesday that storm sweeps to the east coast, travel delays at the airport. that clears out by the end of the week pretty decent end to your friday as we head t areas of fl that's your monday forecast. >> bill, thank you very much still ahead, one of the most conservativeg for gun control. and should internet sites shutdown the so-called dark web?

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moments before the mass murder here in el paso, the suspect detailed his plans and ideology in a post on the internet forum 8 chan. now the founder of that message board who has since left that site tells "the new york times" it should be shutdown. this is the third mass shooting connected to the users of that unregulated forum. and overnight network provider cloud fare terminated its services for 8chan these latest shootings have re-ignited outrage and the debate over gun laws the generally conservative leaning rupert murdoch used his front page to call on the president to ban weapons of war. for the political fallout and president trump's reaction, here's nbc's kelly o'donnell >> reporter: president trump offered condolences. >> these are two incredible places we love the people

>> reporter: and thanked law enforcement, but only hinted at the gunman's deeper motivations. >> hate has no place in our country, and we're going to take care of it >> reporter: grief gives way to outrage in our political space, and democrats quickly called out the president. >> he's responsible when he has taken no action whatsoever to even condemn white supremacy these are white men motivated by the kind of fear that this president traffics in. >> reporter: the white house countered democrats can dislike the president's rhetoric, but should not point fingers >> i blame the people who pulled the trigger. goodness gracious, is someone really blaming the president these people are sick. >> reporter: although the president did not directly condemn white nationalism, daughter and advisor donald trump ivanka trump did white supremacy like all other forms of terrorism is an evil

that must be destroyed bernie sanders i am ploerd tmpl president the of >> ip th se racist anti-immigrant rhetoric. >> reporter: perhaps one ritual remains unifying the president ordered flags lowered until thursday president trump claims he's prepared to take some steps to do some work on this issue, but he didn't give any specifics he said he spoke to members of congress and said that there is work ready to be done. he also previewed a statement. he says he'll be making that later this morning from the white house. phillip? >> kelly, thank you. and just ahead, some of the day's other top stories, including the latest protests from hong kong, which are now spreading to nationastkel ris having an impact on air travel and more wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's

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anti-government documents attributed to the el paso shooter bring attention to a troubling trend, websites that serve as forums for hate >> authorities have long followed those websites, where white nationalists exchange hate-filled talk they have opened a terror investigation. nbc's jo ling kent has the story. >> keep going, run out that way. >> reporter: tipping off investigators before the el paso attack is pulling back the curtain on the darkest corner of the internet and unveiling a digital breeding ground for domestic terrorism. >> this is where it happens now. >> reporter: website like 8 chan and 4 chan are allowed to sinister under tones of white nationalism to go mainstream >> this is a place where white nationalists go to hang out, and even urge each other to commit crimes, even worse, mass murder. >> reporter: minutes before the carnage in el paso, the suspect posted a pdf of his plans on 8

chan but that wasn't enough time for the fbi to react >> clearly there was not enough time for law enforcement to be able to use that information to intercept this mass killer it's not fobl. >> reporter: nbc law enforcement expert jim kavanaugh says federal surveillance of internet forums is restricted >> federal agents cannot go and monitor those boards just because there's hate speech. >> reporter: in that online posting detailing his plans before the el paso massacre, the suspected shooter expressed his support for the shooter in new zealand at a massacre earlier this year. that shooter targeting muslims and killing over 50 people in christchurch, posted his own diatribe on the anonymous forum with a link to a live stream of the slayings on facebook a month later a copy cat posted his speech on a similar site before shooting up a san diego synagogue. the director of the fbi saying the agency had made some 100 arrests in domestic terrorism

since october. >> a majority of the domestic terrorism cases that we have investigated are motivated by some version of what you might call white supremacist violence. >> reporter: domestic terrorism is different from what the fbi calls home grown violent extremism in the u.s. inspired by global jihadists. >> they all think the race war is coming and they're a part of it >> reporter: nbc reporter ben collins said the racially motivated terror taking root on the internet is not far off from classic terror cells >> it' basements throughout the world sort of coming together to hate things >> reporter: >> thanks to jo ling kent for that report. and we thank you so much for being with us along with

. >> hate has no place in our country. and we're going to take care of it the president is scheduled to speak to the nation later this morning on the heels of two mass shootings in el paso, texas and dayton, ohio as they try to make sense of the carnage and wonder if anything will change. the first daughter is speaking out aggressively against white supremacy and the presidential candidates were quick to respond >> he's responsible when he has taken no action whatsoever to even condemnen motivated by the kind of fear that thi