A travel advisory is asking Canadians to “familiarize yourself on how to respond to an active shooter situation” when visiting the United States, in light of the mass shooting trend looming over the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Government of Canada\u2019s travel information page<\/a> reminds travellers to be cautious and take security precautions when visiting down south, while pointing in particular to the common nature of gun violence in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe rate of firearm possession in the United States is high,\u201d notes the official travel advisory, last updated on May 19, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIncidents of mass shootings occur, resulting most often in casualties. Although tourists are rarely involved, there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone,\u00a0according to the Gun Violence Archive<\/a>, a nonprofit research group that has been tracking gun violence patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Florida-based attorney Sean Domnick, whose work intersects with the mass shooting trend in America, the problem isn\u2019t a matter of \u201care we generally safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is that this is happening with enough frequency that nobody knows when or where, but there is a risk all the time,\u201d said Domnick to Yahoo News Canada<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is no predicting where it is that this is going to occur before it occurs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. is generally consider safe for travel by the Government of Canada. However, it is the sporadic nature and frequency of mass shootings that poses a risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The worst of the mass shootings, such as a recent one in a Dallas-area mall, which left nine people dead<\/a> including the gunman, have been making headlines worldwide, adding to the fear and validity of the advisory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only a week prior, an Oklahoma shooting resulted in the deaths of seven<\/a>, including a woman and her three daughters. Just two days before, a man in Cleveland allegedly killed five people<\/a> after he was asked by a neighbour to stop firing his gun in his yard. The man led police on a long day search leading to his capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n