This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
On August 4, 2019, Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo found himself at the center of a social media storm after expressing concerns about his safety in the United States following two mass shootings.
Madowo, who was in the US to attend Columbia University in New York City, had been admitted to study business and economics on a scholarship as part of the 44th Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Business and Economics at Columbia Journalism School.
He took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the mass shootings, which had left 29 people dead and over 40 wounded. 'I went to sleep on news of a mass shooting in El Paso. I woke up to the news of a mass shooting in Dayton. This is only my first weekend living in these United States,' Madowo wrote.
However, his sentiments did not sit well with some Americans, who responded with a mix of anger and hostility. 'You are a newcomer to America and you publicly say that the country is not safe despite the hell hole you are from. Get lost moron! Go home!' one Twitter user, John Seibert, told Madowo.
Others echoed similar sentiments, with some even issuing 'travel advisories' against the US and asking Madowo to return home until the country was declared 'safe.'
