EL PASO, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott promised swift action to protect Texans after 22 people were killed Saturday at an El Paso Walmart.
Abbott made the comments Wednesday after meeting with legislators in El Paso about what he described as the "hateful, evil and racist crime."
The Republican governor said more needs to be done to identify potential threats and remove places on the internet where hate is being promoted. He said he is planning to organize roundtables later this month to get advice on what laws and executive actions could be considered to accomplish that goal.
"Our job is to keep Texans safe," Abbott said. "We take that job seriously. We will act swiftly and aggressively to achieve it."
Abbott said he is sending $5 million to organizations in El Paso to help "piece the community back together" in the wake of the first of two mass shootings in America over the weekend.
A gunman killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, just 13 hours after the rampage in El Paso.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to stop in El Paso after visiting Dayton earlier Wednesday.