Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke gave his personal cell phone number to a man who witnessed the shooting in El Paso, Texas in an emotional exchange in the grieving town.

Sean Nixon, 20, told O'Rourke how he had been shopping at Walmart before he helped a child at the time of the shooting.

'It's too much. El Paso was great. I don't know why this dude is doing this to us,' Nixon said, according to the video shot by CNN, before breaking down in tears.

Beto O'Rourke offered his personal cellphone to help an El Paso shooting witness

Sean Nixon, 20, was shopping at Walmart before he helped a child. he was captured on camera being embraced by Beto O'Rourke as he broke down in tears

The former Texas congressman then hugged Nixon for several seconds before offering him his personal cellphone number to put him in contact with mental health professionals.

'This is my cellphone. It goes directly to me. There have been a number of people who have reached out to me, counselors, therapists, who want to be helpful. If that additional help would be good for you, let me know, and then I'll put you in touch,' O'Rourke said.

'If you can think of anything I can do for you or your family I want to do it, OK?' the Democratic presidential candidate said.

O'Rourke who came from El Paso originally was speaking in his home city with victims of the attack in the wake of the shooting that killed 22 people.

An emotional moment: Beto O’Rourke meets Sean Nixon, 20, a Walmart employee who was there at the time of the shooting and helped a child.



O’Rourke asked if he was getting counseling, offered his personal cell number and said to call if he needs help. pic.twitter.com/GryDGQJWeD — Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) August 7, 2019

The Democratic presidential candidate gave his personal cell phone number

The former congressman from Texas cancelled his scheduled campaign appearances in Iowa this weekend, the state that holds the first caucuses in the Democratic nomination process.

O'Rourke is also missing several high-profile events - the state fair and local Democratic party gatherings that are considered key to winning the state - to stay in El Paso.

President Trump visited El Paso and Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday.

O'Rourke, who shot to national stardom during his 2018 challenge to Texas Senator Ted Cruz, has seen his star - and his poll numbers - fade in the crowded Democratic presidential field, which has more than 20 candidates running.

O'Rourke attended a vigil Sunday in El Paso, a day after a mass shooting at a Walmart store

O'Rourke has become an emissary for El Paso after the shooting and comforted people at vigils

But his anger in the wake of Saturday's shooting brought him renewed attention.

O'Rourke has become an emissary for El Paso, with cameras following him as he visited victims in the hospital, led vigils, and slammed President Donald Trump for stroking racial tensions.

O'Rourke called Trump a white supremacist shortly before the president's visit.

He has said said Trump's rhetoric is partly to blame for the El Paso attack and has repeatedly called him a racist.

Trump denied that his rhetoric inspired the suspected shooter.

'I think my rhetoric brings people together. Our country is doing really well,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday.

O'Rourke has said he will eventually return to the presidential campaign trail.

Beto O'Rourke mets with Rosemary, a victim in Saturday's mass shooting

O'Rourke canceled his scheduled appearance at the Iowa state fair to stay in El Paso

'I will pursue the nomination of our party to serve our country as president of the United States,' he told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. 'But right now I'm going to focus on my community, on our family, on those families who are grieving right now and on those families who have somebody who's not yet out of the woods.'

He added: 'This is the right place for me to be right now.'

O'Rourke has not held back in his attacks on the president, calling him a 'racist' and comparing life in the United States under his presidency to Nazi Germany.

'Jesus Christ, of course he's a racist,' O'Rourke told MSNBC on Monday.