Trump Visits Shooting Victims, First Responders In Las Vegas

Updated, 10:50 a.m.: 

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Las Vegas Wednesday to show their support for the victims of Sunday's shooting massacre.

The Trumps visited University Medical Center to meet with survivors of the shooting, doctors and nurses. They also planned to meet with police, paramedics and volunteers who helped to prevent an even greater loss of life.

"We're going to pay our respects and to see the police who have done really a fantastic job in a very short time," Trump told reporters before leaving the White House. "It's a very, very sad day for me, personally."

Nevada Republicans Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Mark Amodei accompanied the president on Air Force One, along with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

It was the second straight day that Trump has been called upon to act as comforter-in-chief. He and the first lady traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday to meet with victims of Hurricane Maria.

Trump said he's been getting regular updates on the shooting, which left at least 58 people dead and hundreds of others injured. Authorities have been learning more about the gunman, the president said, although the investigation has yet to uncover a motive.

"He was a sick and demented person," Trump said of the gunman. "I guess we knew that without an update. But he was a sick and demented person."

The president brushed aside reporters' questions about whether gun control legislation would be a proper response to the attack.

"We'll talk about that on a later date," said Trump, who won the support of the National Rifle Association in last year's presidential campaign.

Democratic lawmakers rallied outside the Capitol on Wednesday in support of gun safety legislation.

"How many more dead bodies will it take to wake up this Congress?" asked Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. "This must stop and it must stop now."