Two of the victims of Sunday's El Paso shooting were a mother and father who died shielding their two-month-old baby from gunfire.
On Sunday (NZ Time), a Walmart in the Texan border town became the scene of yet another American mass shooting. The death count stands at 22 after two people died in hospital on Tuesday morning.
- Twenty killed after gunman opens fire in Walmart
- El Paso shooting treated as domestic terror case
- Dozens dead after two mass shootings in the US
Two of the victims were Jordan and Andre Anchondo, who, according to relatives that spoke to CNN and The Washington Post, died attempting to protect their two-month-old son.
The Anchondos had been at the El Paso Walmart to purchase school supplies when a man entered the store and began shooting. Jordan immediately moved to protect her child while Andrew jumped in front of the pair.
Leta Jamrowski, Jordan's sister, told The Associated Press that the baby survived because of the pair's selfless actions. The two-month-old is now in hospital being treated for broken bones, believed to be a result of the mother falling when being shot.
"From the baby's injuries, they said that more than likely my sister was trying to shield him," she said.
"So when she got shot she was holding him and she fell on him, so that's why he broke some of his bones. So he pretty much lived because she gave her life."
The couple also had two other children, aged five and two, who were not at the Walmart at the time. They had just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary.
The mass shooting - one of two in the United States on Sunday - is being referred to as domestic terrorism.
El Paso is a mostly Hispanic town and in a manifesto, alleged suspect Patrick Crusius made several racist, anti-immigrant statements which police say is evidence the rampage was racially motivated. The manifesto also mentioned support of the alleged Christchurch gunman.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (NZ Time) that white supremacy and racism had to be defeated while also promising a crackdown on video games he blamed for the shooting.
"We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace," he said.
"It is too easy for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this and it has to begin immediately."
"In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated," said Trump on Tuesday.
There have been 255 mass shootings in America this year.
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