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.
The Government of Canada’s travel information pagereminds 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.
“The rate of firearm possession in the United States is high,” notes the official travel advisory, last updated on May 19, 2023.
“Incidents 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."
There’s 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, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that has been tracking gun violence patterns.