President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump paid a visit to Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, August 7, in order to meet with survivors and first responders to last weekend’s shooting that killed nine people and injured 27.

The president spent more than an hour at Miami Valley Hospital to meet privately with victims who were still recovering, their families, and attending medical personnel. According to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who also attended, the president offered condolences and told victims, “You had God watching. I want you to know that we’re with you all the way.”

Grisham said the president went from room to room to thank medical personnel tending to the victims.

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley accompanied the president. They described the president’s actions as “comforting” when speaking to reporters outside the hospital.

Several dozen demonstrators were gathered, on Wednesday, approximately one mile from the hospital and called for Washington to take action to stem gun violence. President Trump did not confront the protesters directly.

The gunman, identified as Connor Betts, opened fire outside a bar in the Oregon District of Dayton after midnight on the evening of Saturday, August 3. Multiple law enforcement officers, who were stationed at the scene, shot and killed Betts in less than one minute. However, Betts, who had a high powered automatic rifle and was equipped with body armor, had already killed nine victims and injured 27 others.

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