International

Japan warns citizens about traveling to US ‘gun society’ after mass shootings

The Consulate General of Japan in Detroit has warned Japanese residents who may be traveling to the United States in the wake of multiple mass shootings that took place in the country over the weekend.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan over the weekend, the diplomatic mission warned Japanese residents to “be aware of the potential for gunfire incidents everywhere in the United States,” which it described as a “gun society.”

{mosads}The office also advised residents to “continue to pay close attention to safety measures.” 

The office’s warning follows similar alerts released by other foreign nations after the two deadly shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, which occurred less than a day apart this past weekend.

In a recent statement released by the foreign ministry of Uruguay, the government warned its citizens to practice caution “against growing indiscriminate violence, mostly for hate crimes … which cost more than 250 people their lives in the first seven months of the year.” 

It also warned citizens traveling to the country “to avoid areas with large concentrations of people like theme parks, shopping centers, art festivals, religious events, food festivals and any kind of cultural or sporting gathering,” noting the “indiscriminate possession of firearms by the population.” 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also warned citizens “living in or aiming to travel to the U.S., to be extra careful or to postpone their travel, given the recent proliferation of violent acts and hate crimes.” 

The warnings arrive after more than 30 people were killed in the two mass shootings.