Investigators work on the scene of a shooting in Half Moon Bay in California, the United States, Jan 23, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

JAKARTA, May 6, 2023 -- Indonesian expatriates in the United States are concerned about the country's gun violence, which has continued to kill and injure dozens weekly in 2023, said an article published by The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"I am more worried about having my 13-year-old child attend school here than in Jakarta. But since my husband's work required him to relocate to Washington, D.C., we have no choice but to hope for the best," said Petronela Nugroho, a resident of Arlington, Virginia, which is near Washington D.C., in a WhatsApp message to The Jakarta Post on April 19.

More than 160 mass shootings have been reported in the United States so far this year, with 647 and 690 recorded in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The prolonged debate on gun control in Congress in the face of these grim statistics has bewildered many.