Dayton, site of latest mass shooting, warily awaits Trump

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley's stricken community will have a visitor today in President Donald Trump, who in the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend has made calls for unity on the heels of his divisive political talk.

White House officials said Trump's visits to Texas and Ohio, where a combined 31 people were killed and dozens wounded in less than 24 hours, would be similar to those he's paid to grieving communities in the past. But Whaley, a Democrat, made remarks Tuesday questioning whether the visit will help, and expressed disappointment in the president's aftermath remarks that included an erroneous reference to Toledo instead of Dayton.

"I can only hope that as president of the United States that he's coming here because he wants to add value to our community and he recognizes that that's what our community needs," she said, noting she expected to meet with Trump. "Everyone has it in their power to be a force to bring people together, and everybody has it in their power to be a force to bring people apart – that's up to the president of the United States."

Connor Betts, 24, opened fire in Dayton's Oregon entertainment district early Sunday morning, killing nine people including his 22-year-old sister, before officers fatally shot him within 30 seconds of the start of his rampage. The FBI announced Tuesday it's opened an investigation into Betts' desire to commit a mass shooting and his interest in violent ideology.

GOP Gov. Mike DeWine said it's clear Betts exhibited anti-social behaviors in high school that should have alerted those around him to a problem. Two former classmates told The Associated Press that Betts was suspended from Bellbrook High School after a hit list was found scrawled in a school bathroom. That followed an earlier suspension after Betts came to school with a list of female students he wanted to sexually assault, according to the two classmates, a man and a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern they might face harassment.

But Betts had no apparent criminal record as an adult, and police said there was nothing that would have prevented him from buying a gun.

DeWine on Tuesday called on the Republican-led Legislature to pass laws requiring background checks for nearly all gun sales, allowing courts to restrict firearms access for people perceived as threats, and improving access to in-patient psychiatric care for those who need it most.