Christina Kooi left America because of gun violence. The 38-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands and moved to the United States when she was 10, ultimately left the country in 2017 amid ongoing school shootings.
“I could not picture myself having kids and sending them to school in the U.S.,” she told USA TODAY. She traveled internationally before relocating back to the Dutch country. She makes yearly trips to visit her parents in Ohio, but is wary of spending too much time stateside.
Now with two young children (2 and 4), the large number of firearms is a concern. “For me to move back to the U.S., or to be there for an extended period of time, I would just be afraid to be at someone's home and have my kid grab a handgun out of a well-meaning neighbor’s bedside table,” she said.
Ohio’s gun laws – which allow permitless concealed carry – also give her pause. “I don't like knowing that somebody I entered the Target with or the Walmart with happens to have a gun in (their) pocket,” she said. Her Romanian husband feels similarly, she added.
Kooi is not the only one. Some travelers are minimizing time spent in the United States or avoiding it altogether due to gun violence and other safety fears. Here’s why:
