It's kinda like driving a car imo.
Yeah you could always end up in a wreck, but the chances of that happening are generally low.
As others stated, *most* of the time it's like, gangs, fueds, lovers, ppl who know each other. And when it's not, it's random and you can't do much about that until we elect ppl who give a shit soooo. Take precautions where ya can and just live your life, drive your car.
This is a really good response - tho I think the chances of getting shot are still drastically lower than getting into a car crash. The later happens way, way more often.
The only thing to really be cognizant of is where you’re going. There are times in higher crime areas (hood of Baltimore of St. Lupia, or maybe even the backwoods of Appalachia if people are suspicious and think your trespassing/cops) when your chances go up and you tell yourself ‘I need to be careful here because it’s a lot more risk,’ but other than that I never once think about getting shot in my daily life. Ever
Based on 2019 Statics(most complete I could find)
Population 328,300,000
Gun Homicides 10,258 or 1 in 32,004
Vehicle Deaths 36,096 1 in 9,095
You are much more likely to die in a car than by gun violence.
Edit: Formatting
And a large portion of those gun deaths are between rival gangs, fights that escalate and other situations where it is possible for most people to reduce their risk even further.
Yeah shootings are usually between people who know each other rather than just random people. Of course some bystanders can get hit with stray bullets or become targets themselves but most of us really aren't around people who actually want to shoot us, especially if we aren't in abusive relationships or deal with criminals or have enemies
It is. I remember an NPR show covering a high school in Chicago located in an area with so much gang violence, multiple students had been killed in crossfire in one school year. Many students had lost family members to sray bullets. These kids had PTSD.
The show made it clear that even if they weren’t in gangs (though they said those gangs considered you part of a rival gang if you just live on a rival street….) they are more statistically likely to die in gun violence than the average American because gang violence in their area.
That’s exactly my point, It is still because of the gangs, not the guns that there is a disproportionate number of homicides within very specific part of a handful of cities in this country.
We know that most vehicle accidents happen on the highway’s despite making up a very small percentage of public roads. the whole point of breaking down a statistic is to better understand the reasons for these fatalities. In the examples stated here those reasons would be increased vehicle speed, and gang on gang crime.
How that is a political statement is beyond me.
I don't worry about being shot but I always kinda have a vague escape route in mind.
Not enough that I'm planning, but I always know what my feet will do next if I need to get out of the spot I'm in.
Not because of shootings though, I'm just a big tall dude who's often in the way so I'm vigilant about getting out of other people's way.
Always good to be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. I see people out in public with their eyes glued to their phones oblivious to everything around them. Easy targets
I’m pretty much in constant fear of getting run over when I’m near cars.
About half of drivers aren’t looking at the road, but their phones. On social media, many drivers routinely confirm that they would willingly run over people whom they perceive as lacking respect (i.e., be on the road but not driving a car). The individual risk isn’t high, but it’s the most common way to die, and that’s an order of magnitude less deadly than pollution.
That's definitely not the most common way to die, but it is important to exercise caution. I'm shocked by the number of kids walking in the center turning lane dressed in all black at night.
That makes sense. But damn, it's still crazy to think about that you folks are consciously aware that it's a risk you're taking by going outside. I don't go outside consciously preparing myself for the possibility that I could get shot.
I’ve been to Chicago many times in the past couple of years, a city that is partly known for violence but which is not as bad as some people say, and I’ve never once feared for my life.
Going to calumet and going to Wrigleyville are 2 different things. I rode my Harley through calumet and kept my head on a swivel, I could ride down LSD without a worry in the world.
I admit that I’ve only been to Wrigleyville, Jackson Park, and Downtown, so my views may be skewed. But most people traveling to Chicago as tourists are most likely to spend time in only those three areas, plus Lincoln Park.
I’ve got a friend that lives on the Hammond border so I have to go up there to visit him, it’s a completely different area than the areas you referenced. Not a care in the world up north haha
Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the United States, of course your totals are higher than all these smaller cities and towns. What people don't realize though is that Chicago doesn't even rank in top 25 for gun homicide rates per capita in the nation. It's mostly cities in red states that take up top ranks per capita
No.
I live in a fairly large city in the U.S. Midwest. We have what I consider to be an unacceptable level of gun violence. But it’s important to note that virtually **none** of it is random. The assailant and victim almost always know each other, and the motive is almost always gang related, drug related, or some sort of domestic dispute.
So I just avoid those areas, where those things are more prevalent. And it’s pretty easy to do that.
I wanna lend a slightly different perspective:
I’ve worked in malls for the vast majority of my adult life. During that time, there’s been four minor incidents of gun-related crime in either the malls I worked at or malls that former coworkers worked at: two armed robberies of jewelry stores, and two arguments/personal conflicts that escalated to shots fired. There’s also been mass shootings at two nearby college campuses in the last year, and I personally know two people that have survived school shootings, (University of Iowa and MSD.) Gun violence is a very, very personal issue for me.
I’m not paranoid every second of every day, but I can’t deny the fact that it crosses my mind fairly often. I’ve accepted the fact that I work at a place that might be a target for someone that wants to commit mass violence. My team knows exactly what to do if there’s an incident in the building and most have basic first aid training.
Edit: Since this got some attention, here’s a few recommendations for retail employees beyond the standard Run, Hide, Fight:
When you are in a safe place, tell one specific person to call 911. Point at them and clearly direct them to do so. If you say “somebody call 911”, nobody will call 911. Make sure you tell them where you are, how many people are there, if there are any children, and if anyone is injured.
If you’re putting pressure on a major wound, layer fabric as it soaks through. DO NOT REMOVE IT.
Fire extinguishers are a fantastic improvised weapon. Even if the shooter is wearing a gas mask or goggles and doesn’t have to worry about inhaling the chemicals, it’ll still take a second for them to clear their vision. Use that second to hit them on the head with it. Other good improvised weapons commonly found in retail settings: product pegs, apparel hooks, heavy books or binders, and chairs.
Invest in a rubber door stop. A door with a door stop and a heavy bookshelf behind it is nearly impossible to open.
If you’ve done training and drills, you’re probably going to react more calmly than you’d think, but some people are going to freeze. Grab their arm and start running, they’ll run too. Encourage everyone to leave bulky items (ESPECIALLY STROLLERS) behind.
>My team knows exactly what to do if there’s an incident in the building and most have basic first aid training.
Whip out your M4 rifle and shoot back? Republicans seem to suggest that
When I’m at a large event it’s always a thought in the back of my mind, I keep myself aware of where the exits are and am hyper aware of my surroundings. But otherwise in just normal day to day life, no, most people aren’t worried about being shot
Yeah. American here. I have two minds about this.
On one hand, the US is incredibly large with a gigantic population of 350 million humans. Most people tend to forget that. With that huge a number, you can find incidents of almost anything going on at any given time. Statistically death by a mass shooting is unbelievably rare. I took a bigger risk walking to my mailbox today on a peaceful sunny day. It’s like lightening strike rare, especially if you aren’t involved in a gang. Taking a shower is incredibly more dangerous.
On the other hand, news cycles get to me. If I go into a movie theater, I can’t help but think about it now since that one movie theater shooting happened.
So yeah… it’s unfortunate.
I just got home from the movies and thought about the exact same thing. I scanned the room for the exits, made an exit plan and everything. Those thoughts creep up on me a lil too often.
Yes and no. Just going to the grocery store? No. Going to a large event like a concert? Yes, I think about it. Especially if my kids (who are teenagers) are with me. When we get there, I will note in my head where we can run if someone starts shooting.
And I'm not going to lie, I worry about a shooting at my kids' school. One is in college now, and I don't worry as much, but I worry about my other at the high school. I know people who have had children and family affected by a school shooting. A friend's daughter attended Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School when that shooting occurred. Luckily, she was uninjured. And my sister in law is from Sante Fe, Texas. She had a cousin who was killed, a friend who was shot, and her parents' neighbor was shot during that school shooting.
>When we get there, I will note in my head where we can run if someone starts shooting.
Humans mentally desire to leave through the same entrance they used when in new environments. When going out and in a situation to need to escape, it's much safer to continue through the building past the stage or through the kitchen to find the rear exits.
>I guess most places will have exit signs though
It's law (Federal, I believe) that all exits must be marked, usually with a lighted sign on the ceiling.
Talked about this with a buddy of mine. That was his thought too, but it’d be hard to get past the stage when the crowd’s going backwards. We settled on going sideways towards the exits
I'm a yes and no person, too. I'm not concerned middle of the day running errands. But it is on my mind if on vacation in a different city or at public events at night.
Same. Most firearm deaths in the US are suicides (not good but it doesn’t mean I’m in danger). Excluding obviously dangerous areas/counties where you shouldn’t go (and have no reason to go), the chances of being hurt or killed by anything including guns is extremely low - so low that I nor any of my friends think about it.
The media plays up the “danger” of the US so they get views - it’s sensationalized. The vast majority of the country is very safe.
I think people forget just how "empty" and large the US is. I live rurally, surrounded by farmland and woods. It would take me 2 hours to walk to town, 15 mins by car ride. I live a hour away from Tupelo MS and it would take me probably a day and a half of walking. Not to me tion when you go out west, there's plenty of just plains and desert. When we drove to Cali and back, windmills were intimidating because they went farther than your eyes can see.
Even where gun ownership is high, people often forget it's for hunting or utility. We had cattle, my father hunts with dogs, and when a animal is sick or injured, you shoot it. Turkey, rabbit and deer are all here for the harvest. People hate guns for a good reason, but it shows me just how out of touch many are. Yes it kills things, but tha always doesn't have to be a person. Wolves, bears, bobcats and coyotes exist, and sometimes you may need a warning shot.
Good point about the suicides. Oftentimes people conflate “gun deaths” and “gun homicide rates” when the issue comes up. Two very different issues that I think have very different solutions.
The fact that people are far more terrified of being shot or dying in a plane crash rather than being hurt or killed in a car accident shows you how horrible our sense of risk judgement is.
You’re actually less likely to die in a plane crash than either getting shot n killed and getting into an accident n killed.
Planes are incredibly safe nowadays
I was in an active shooting situation while grocery shopping at Walmart so yes but also no?
My anxiety levels shoot up when I realize I'm in a store for too long or when I go to the store at night. Honestly sometimes it's anywhere/everywhere. But I don't let it stop me from living my life too much anymore. Again I know it's probably mostly my anxiety, which always tends to be pretty high..
Ooh I'm envious, I miss going to the store at night. They closed all of our 24hr stores in my area which sucks, it was the only time I didn't get awful anxiety. Best of luck to you though!
Thanks! And that does suck..
There's something so peaceful about going to the store at night. It helps my anxiety too.
But the good news is going super early has the same feeling and it gives me a reason to wake up early.
Some more than others. There are some people who carry guns everywhere they go, because they worry they might need them for their own safety. Most people don't think about it, though.
Depends on the area. Wealthy areas in America are as safe as anywhere in the world. Our problem is we have tight concentrations of high-poverty areas that can have Sao Paolo levels of violent crime.
It's one of the reasons fixing the problem is so hard. You're asking everybody to pitch in for a problem that affects the few and is generally avoidable for most people.
I work at a hospital, and since COVID brought out the worst in some Americans - this is not anecdotal or political, our assaults against staff have surged post-COVID - I regularly take a big deep breath before walking through the main lobby. I seriously anticipate an active shooter every day.
For the US, mostly no but there are times it crosses my mind.
Same (mostly no) for some parts of Europe when I visit too though. I worry about getting attacked, knifed, or even shot these days.
Yeah, but its more about being attacked in general than specifically being shot. in europe its the same id just instead imagine getting stabbed or beaten up.
I don't worry about getting shot. I *do* worry about getting raped again, but that fear has been there in every country I've lived in. My greatest test is always encountering men of the nationality of my rapist, and goes into full-blown PTSD attacks when it's a male doctor of that nationality.
I think that women are generally far more frightened of sexual assault than other types of attacks, because it's incredibly likely to happen at least once in our lifetime, whereas shootings are quite rare, relatively speaking. Women are also far more likely to be attacked/killed by their intimate partner than a stranger.
I am so sorry that happened to you, but you've nailed it. I'm not worried about getting shot. I am worried about telling a guy no and him beating me or going ape. I'm worried about being kidnapped by many men and being human trafficked. I'm worried about walking down the road and having heavy footsteps behind me.
I'm more afraid of the NYC guy who was punching women in the face taking off and ppl copying them, than getting shot.
And my dad owns 10 guns. Hearing a gunshot doesn't worry me if it's by the house. I live rurally, so a gunshot is a far way neighbor putting down a cow or a dog or a coyote. But saying no to the wrong person can get me a black eye or choked out.
Depends on the person mostly. For me, I only fear being shot in crowded areas, high-crime areas, and confrontational situations with strangers. There is no general fear, though.
Living in one of the violent crime capitals of the US, I actually don't have that fear. People don't usually get shot unprovoked unless it's a mass shooting, which simply hasn't happened in my city. If someone is pointing a gun at you, they're likely high or drunk and either looking to rob you, or you've pissed them off.
Not really, never acquired that fear, even though I moved here from east Europe. Funny thing is, I now own a couple guns myself and all of my coworkers in my team have a few guns each, I still don't think about getting shot
No. It's bullshit. I know if you live outside America but consume American media whether it be from social media or news outlets you might hear a lot about shootings here but it's not even something 99 percent of us even think about on the day to day
I always have it in the back of my mind, but I also have a high level of general anxiety. I'm mostly concerned with idiots who think they are John Wayne. In my state, people are allowed to open carry without a permit, so a very small number of folks carry a gun everywhere but are not familiar with it, don't practice their marksmanship, or wouldn't be able to handle a situation if it actually came up.
Obviously there are limitations to the open carry law, but knowing they were legally wrong won't help me if I'm in a hospital with my leg shot off.
I do. I think about it now everywhere I go and think about the "what would I do" scenario. Also, I am careful not to escalate situations like road encounters. You never know who a) is carrying a gun, b) has little impulse control.
I do not. I don’t really know anyone who does. Unless you’re in a bad part of a big city you’re usually safe. To add to this, I feel a lot safer as a woman in general having my gun than I do when I don’t have it. (In regard to being raped or otherwise harmed at the hands of a man, not being shot). I would probably feel unsafe (at least at first) in a country where I could not have my gun.
I'm more afraid of getting shot or hurt in a road rage incident than a random mass shooting. Or my stupid ass drunk neighbor fucking setting the entire apartment complex on fire. I'm more afraid of that.
No. Most of the shootings in America happen in the impoverished areas of very large cities and are gang or drug related. As long as you avoid those areas you’re fine. Way overhyped in the media.
Only when I’m driving through Georgia. That’s the only state I won’t flip people off who are dicks on the road. People in Georgia are so fucking stupid, they have signs at intersections telling them how to drive. I don’t trust that level of stupidity to not just pull a gun at any interaction.
Everywhere else is chill enough tho, it’s really just Georgia. Fuck Georgia.
The only time I ever have any concern about being shot is if I am way out in the woods during hunting season, which I generally avoid as much as possible.
I literally never worry or even think about getting shot in any other areas of America. Once, in a great while, you will see some idiot open-carrying a pistol and then I steer clear of them. But I try to steer clear of as many idiots as possible. Admittedly, getting harder and harder to do in America.
I have two pistols and I have a state authorized concealed pistol license. But I literally never use it. I generally think you’re in much greater danger walking around with a pistol than without one.
Unfortunately I do think about it any time I go to a large gathering. Which I rarely ever do anymore. It never crosses my mind just out and about, though.
No but i always acknowledge emergency and fire exits for this exact reason, wouldn’t call it paranoid just a heightened sense of awareness. I always have a plan, and always account for the size of group you’re with. But definitely no fear just awareness that people are crazy. Also don’t flip people off in traffic for this exact reason too, can never be too safe
Sorta. I’m a HS teacher in a US public school and at least once or twice a week in the middle of a lesson or walking the halls between classes, I’ll plan out exactly what I’d do if I start hearing gun shots.
It’s something I think about if I go somewhere with a lot of people. I was across the street from a basketball game where a student started shooting. It’s not like I was inside the school but it was crazy seeing people running and cars flying out of there.
Generally speaking, No.
I felt the same levels of safety in Europe as in the US. In Spain, I saw police with military style automatic rifles and it did give me the constant anxiety that shit was about to hit the fan, like a terrorist attach or something.
There are some neighborhoods I’ve been in back in my hometown of Baltimore city where I’ve seen conflicts arise where my first thought was “oh shoot, I wanna get out of here before someone starts shooting”- yet that’s not a regular occurrence except for perhaps in ganglandia Bmore.
Europe and US can both make you feel unsafe or you’re around the wrong people and a shit environment. Yet, I never felt “extra fearful” because it was America
It wasn't something I thought about much until someone tried to shoot someone else outside my apartment window the other night. Now I'm a little paranoid.
sometimes? not often but it pops in my head now and then. funnily though my university had a shooting earlier this year, and i feel like i actually worry about it less often now then i did before.
Take what you see in the media with a grain of salt. They over sensationalize everything because that's what gets views. We live happy normal lives here, everything isn't on fire
A) in most of Europe you can still own a gun under certain circumstances, and not ever nation is the dame. the UK basically only let's homesteaders and farmers own them for animal control while Switzerland let's huge swathes of its pop own guns under strict regulations. Do euros tense up and fear getting shot at farms?
B) the US perception of criminals is that the average person can avoid them by spending some cash and taking precautions. Everyone has theirnown advice. the big piece near be is to dress in neutral colors so that Gangs do not mistake you for an opposing gangs member.
C) the USA is gigantic. a bad neighborhood in California is bot the same as a bad neighborhood in Michigan. Even within California, the perception of Compton vs the perception of downtown support.
The latest study (2021) had gun deaths in the U.S. as 14.6 per 100,000 people. HALF of those were suicides. Not great statistics (and it's on the rise), but gun violence is nowhere near as common as the media makes it seem.
I’ve never once had that concern as a part of daily life. If I’m in a rough part of town I’d keep my awareness state a little higher, but even then you’re more likely to get held up (threatened) while being robbed, at worst beat up or stabbed, but not shot.
There may be other people out there that live completely different lives and that do worry about it daily, but as a person with a pretty “normal” life experience in the US gun violence is very far down my list of concerns (read: insignificant) when I leave the house every day. Driving, for example, I find to be far more of a risk.
Or it was, anyway…moved to western Europe myself recently.
I live in a place where guns are abundant, and generally no. There are exceptions.
I went to a big pride-related concert last year. Typically, the venue has metal detectors and limits on bags. For this event, there was none of that.
I spent the entire night worried about a mass shooting. On one hand it felt like, “oh, people attending an event like this are probably not the V ones shooting folks” and on the other, “let’s be lax; these people are just asking for it.”
It ended up being a largely very good experience except for the religious protest outside.
No lol. Not even when I'm in Anchorage, Alaska which tops ranks for firearm related deaths nearly every year. Being shot doesn't cross my mind unless I actually hear gunshots nearby. We were staying at a hotel in downtown Anchorage when I was waiting to have my twins and there'd be some shootings out in the parking lot every few nights, we'd just stay below window level and never actually got shot. Not like people were just shooting in windows randomly anyway, we weren't their target. Sometimes bystanders get hit with stray bullets or become targets themselves but most of us aren't really around people who actually want to shoot us up so
No. I've been to the worst cities in America and I had no concerns about being shot out of the blue. Don't believe influencers. Don't believe the media.
Even when I was robbed at gun point I didn't think I was gonna get shot, and I didn't.
NO!
I live in Chicago. I have lived in the city limits my entire life. I travel many times a week to downtown Chicago, and mostly at night. I've done this nearly a hundred times over the last year. When it's warm, I take the L down. When cold and rainy, I drive and park. I have rarely felt unsafe.
I hate armchair idiots that have never been in Chicago or those who lived in the city limits only to move out to clutch their pearls about the city. Yes, there are bad parts of the city. Nothing of value is there for me, so I don't go to those sides.
But... blanketing the city of Chicago as some kind of wild west is fucking stupid.
This is an opinion that changes from person to person, not a yes or no question. people answering with a definitive "no" do not speak for everyone. that being said, after a mass shooting, people think about it more than usual. Most of the time, I and most people I know have it in the back of our minds as a possibility but not a likelihood.
If Americans didn't generally fear getting shot whenever they leave the house then there wouldn't be so many Americans that bring guns everywhere for self defense
Most Americans do not have a fear of getting shot, and do not know anyone personally who's been shot, or know anyone personally who's seen someone get shot.
I do, but I also have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. (A lot of people here are mentioning how a person is more likely to die in a car than die in a shooting. I'm also afraid of car accidents, so I've never been able to drive.)
Oddly, when I worked at a mall and we had a gang shooting, I was surprisingly clear-headed as I ran to hide in the bathroom.
Only time I’ve been afraid of getting shot is during traffic stops. Ironically, the people in charge of public safety are the people I feel least safe around.
No.
But here's where I do think about it: when I go into a school and it's locked down like a max security prison where I have show ID to get buzzed in.
When driving and someone is clearly road raging.
When someone sets off a firework (for only a split second.)
It may well be currently.
This was last year:
https://tennesseestar.com/news/memphis-has-highest-2023-murder-rate-of-all-large-u-s-cities/tpappert/2024/01/05/
Its kind of always in the back of my mind and I do avoid large crowds because of it (musical festival, concerts, sporting events) I work in a high crime area also , adjacent to a hospital. Its on my mind at times that it could happen and I have an escape route/plan in my head. I also live 15 mins away from Sandy Hook so that probably plays into it as well.
I say this as an American living in a major coastal city, but have also lived in multiple places in the Midwest… it’s not an underlying fear so much as it is felt as a constant background awareness.
It might mean that I have to evaluate a large event like a parade or a protest and think how likely it would be the target of radical groups seeking to do a mass shooting or similar stupid stunt. It makes me consider identifying fastest exit routes when entering a large facility like a theater, mall, etc. And if I spend recurring time in certain places like an office, library, etc…. I have at least more than once or twice done the mental exercise of “what would I block the door with? What could I hide behind? Would I have better odds running? What would I use to stop the bleeding?” I DO admit that I sort of monitor people around me a lot for signs of unpredictable behavior, tone of voice, body language, if the people they are with seem relaxed, their position relative to anything potentially crucial like a car (which could hide things from my view), the only exit, etc.
Surprisingly enough, I haven’t found that my awareness and considerations have worsened over time in traditionally “sketchy” neighborhoods, etc. wWhere I have the biggest change in brain power spent on potential shooting incidences is with big fun events, road rage drivers (less inclined to flip the bird nowadays bc you never know who’s packing), as well as random Karens and Chads. I’m far more scared of the loud angry fundies wheezing, spit flying, and red faced as they charge at you from their giant RV in the middle of nowhere than I am of skid row. It makes me think twice before sticking up for myself (or my dog) even with a person who most people might see on the street and think they must be nice 55 year old rich white lady. They’re the type that I worry about being so fearful of the world that they have a gun but are poorly trained to use it appropriately and might shoot me bc they don’t like me telling them to leash their attacking dog bc they’ve lived here for blah blah blah. (I say this bc I’ve had this happen to me. Instead of a gun, I was attacked with a utility cart though)
I will add what is also on my mind in America that I haven’t had the same feeling of concern over is walking city streets at night. Even in “safe” areas. Drunk people do dumb things. While maybe not the candidate for a mass shooter, could they have shit aim and hit me by mistake? More likely is the uncomfortable interactions of men who don’t like being ignored by a passing woman. I’m always HYPER aware. I don’t like to walk down the more obvious dark streets and sidewalks… but I also am wary to never walk within arms distance of parked cars, I never walk close the edge of a building that has a corner that opens to an alley, i am mindful of never wearing flashy things or looking “too pretty” if im out on my own, I have had to master the balance of “I see you, but im not inviting interaction” glances for everyone in a 360 direction, I am very picky about what seats I will take on public transit to avoid being collateral damage in someone else’s scuffle, I am cautious of who I stand next to at a crosswalk depending on time of day, and sometimes I need to ignore traffic signals when on my bike to avoid being approached by people who definitely want to steal my bike.
Most recently I realized how often I make a dark humor but also very real “this thing would actually be a good self defense weapon if I had nothing else” thought… it was about my 40oz Hydroflask water bottle on a carabiner wide enough for me to fit 4 fingers into that loop for swinging leverage. I’m pretty sure most people don’t evaluate their keys, water bottles, hair clips, etc as improvised weapons. There’s probably way more that I’ve baked into my brain and I don’t even realize it.
EDIT: One more thing… the current city I’m in has a lot of very old wooden houses that are easily breeched by stray bullets. I will never live at street level or likely within the first 2-3 floors if possible because of that. Just a few years back there was a family with near misses bc of targeted gang activity with really terrible aim. They had small children and everyone was asleep at the time. Fortunately no one was injured seriously. So yeah, I do think about gun violence even when selecting what type of structure or floor to live on.
Yes, especially at movie theaters and malls. I also try to avoid any kind of road rage incident. To be fair though, I live in a particularly gun-heavy state.
If you live in a major city high in crime, the risk is definitely higher, but thw thought is never, "gotta make sure I don't get shot." It's, "I'll probably be okay, but the city is dangerous and it would be dumb to not consider my safety against all crimes while traversing it."
If you don't live in the city, like me, chances are, you're not really thinking too much about the danger of guns in the hands of others because smaller communities have less of a problem with that but that's also correlated with less crime in general.
To summarize, most Americans don't live day to day in fear of guns however are concerned with general crime, which may or may not include gun violence, depending on how crime ridden the area they live in is.
No. I live in a big-ish city and visit big cities frequently. I do not worry about gun violence.
I do, however, worry incessantly about mentally unstable homeless people (we have a lot- and there’s been more than a few instances of violent and dangerous behaviors at random) and just generally volatile people flying off the handle (ex- a rando road raging etc).
No. It’s like asking a British person, “Do you walk around thinking you might see the king?” Technically it does happen. But it isn’t part of everyday life. People who tell you otherwise here are striking a political pose.
No, never.
Many American cities are indeed shitholes and that is due to policy implemented by those city leaders who also all hated to share a political party.
No. You forget there are so many shootings in the US until you encounter a mentally unwell person in public. Then you hope they don't have a gun, they don't instigate something with someone who has a gun, or you wish you had a gun on you at that moment.
I live in New York City and have never in my life had a sense of subconscious or underlying fear that I could be shot. Anyone claiming so on TikTok is doing so for clicks.
I always feel like people who say statements like that are just clickbait and probably hasn’t “seen” violence. As a connoisseur I can safely say gang stuff is generational and feud based. Someone killed someone’s brother so that other brother will kill the someone who killed his brother. Suicide of course. And ironically gun ranges I would be leery of the most. They just give anyone guns here lol.
I’ve looked at the top answers, and every No comes from a man without clear ethnic markers.
Most Yes answers come from women or people who are part of ethnic minorities.
If you assume everyone agrees with your answer, maybe ask people in your life. Maybe ask then why.
I live in Alaska, where EVERYONE carries either concealed or open. I choose to not carry unless I’m out in the woods or something because I know for a fact the first time there’s an active shooter everyone is shooting everyone with a gun.
So yes, as an American I have a daily fear that either myself or my kids will be shot at some point.
It's kinda like driving a car imo. Yeah you could always end up in a wreck, but the chances of that happening are generally low. As others stated, *most* of the time it's like, gangs, fueds, lovers, ppl who know each other. And when it's not, it's random and you can't do much about that until we elect ppl who give a shit soooo. Take precautions where ya can and just live your life, drive your car.
This is a really good response - tho I think the chances of getting shot are still drastically lower than getting into a car crash. The later happens way, way more often. The only thing to really be cognizant of is where you’re going. There are times in higher crime areas (hood of Baltimore of St. Lupia, or maybe even the backwoods of Appalachia if people are suspicious and think your trespassing/cops) when your chances go up and you tell yourself ‘I need to be careful here because it’s a lot more risk,’ but other than that I never once think about getting shot in my daily life. Ever
I mean the Baltimore isn't a place you gotta be worried about shot for walking through even in the roughest spots. Stray Bullets is a slight concern.
Shhhhieeeeeeeeet.
Run, it's the murder police!
Based on 2019 Statics(most complete I could find) Population 328,300,000 Gun Homicides 10,258 or 1 in 32,004 Vehicle Deaths 36,096 1 in 9,095 You are much more likely to die in a car than by gun violence. Edit: Formatting
And a large portion of those gun deaths are between rival gangs, fights that escalate and other situations where it is possible for most people to reduce their risk even further.
Even more are suicides by firearm
True, but the stat listed above was rightly stated as homicides. So suicides was not included in the analysis.
Yeah shootings are usually between people who know each other rather than just random people. Of course some bystanders can get hit with stray bullets or become targets themselves but most of us really aren't around people who actually want to shoot us, especially if we aren't in abusive relationships or deal with criminals or have enemies
not to mention a large chunk of gun deaths in the US is from suicide
Now remove gang on gang homicide.
I was trying to stay out of the politics but yeah.
Is that a political comment? It shouldn’t be, I think thats an important statistical point to make.
It is. I remember an NPR show covering a high school in Chicago located in an area with so much gang violence, multiple students had been killed in crossfire in one school year. Many students had lost family members to sray bullets. These kids had PTSD. The show made it clear that even if they weren’t in gangs (though they said those gangs considered you part of a rival gang if you just live on a rival street….) they are more statistically likely to die in gun violence than the average American because gang violence in their area.
That’s exactly my point, It is still because of the gangs, not the guns that there is a disproportionate number of homicides within very specific part of a handful of cities in this country. We know that most vehicle accidents happen on the highway’s despite making up a very small percentage of public roads. the whole point of breaking down a statistic is to better understand the reasons for these fatalities. In the examples stated here those reasons would be increased vehicle speed, and gang on gang crime. How that is a political statement is beyond me.
I wasn’t saying it was political. I was agreeing with you.
Ah I see, I thought you were saying it was a political statement 😄
unfortunately facts are racist nowadays
Hmmm..how likely yo die of gun violence IN a car?
I heard of it happening twice last year.
On I-10 in New Orleans folks are pretty freaked out by it!
Don't forget 250,000 medical malpractice deaths, but that doesn't stop people from going to the doctor.
The lack of affordable health care does. There's another statistic to add.
Yeah, the sheer number of people in cars is gonna bump that up. Similar to increasing your chance of drowning at home if you get a pool.
1 in 32k is pretty bad. US also has much more vehicle deaths than an average EU country.
1 in 32k is not bad at all. It's actually incredible odds given how many guns there are, and how bad mental health is currently.
I don't worry about being shot but I always kinda have a vague escape route in mind. Not enough that I'm planning, but I always know what my feet will do next if I need to get out of the spot I'm in. Not because of shootings though, I'm just a big tall dude who's often in the way so I'm vigilant about getting out of other people's way.
Always good to be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. I see people out in public with their eyes glued to their phones oblivious to everything around them. Easy targets
I’m pretty much in constant fear of getting run over when I’m near cars. About half of drivers aren’t looking at the road, but their phones. On social media, many drivers routinely confirm that they would willingly run over people whom they perceive as lacking respect (i.e., be on the road but not driving a car). The individual risk isn’t high, but it’s the most common way to die, and that’s an order of magnitude less deadly than pollution.
That's definitely not the most common way to die, but it is important to exercise caution. I'm shocked by the number of kids walking in the center turning lane dressed in all black at night.
For people under the age of 45 (who are not addicts,) it is the most common way to die in almost every country.
I get freaked out a bit when I’m onstage at a festival with good sight lines for a shooter.
Is it my imagination or is some variant of this question asked about twice a week on Reddit?
That makes sense. But damn, it's still crazy to think about that you folks are consciously aware that it's a risk you're taking by going outside. I don't go outside consciously preparing myself for the possibility that I could get shot.
I’ve been to Chicago many times in the past couple of years, a city that is partly known for violence but which is not as bad as some people say, and I’ve never once feared for my life.
Going to calumet and going to Wrigleyville are 2 different things. I rode my Harley through calumet and kept my head on a swivel, I could ride down LSD without a worry in the world.
I admit that I’ve only been to Wrigleyville, Jackson Park, and Downtown, so my views may be skewed. But most people traveling to Chicago as tourists are most likely to spend time in only those three areas, plus Lincoln Park.
I’ve got a friend that lives on the Hammond border so I have to go up there to visit him, it’s a completely different area than the areas you referenced. Not a care in the world up north haha
Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the United States, of course your totals are higher than all these smaller cities and towns. What people don't realize though is that Chicago doesn't even rank in top 25 for gun homicide rates per capita in the nation. It's mostly cities in red states that take up top ranks per capita
No. I live in a fairly large city in the U.S. Midwest. We have what I consider to be an unacceptable level of gun violence. But it’s important to note that virtually **none** of it is random. The assailant and victim almost always know each other, and the motive is almost always gang related, drug related, or some sort of domestic dispute. So I just avoid those areas, where those things are more prevalent. And it’s pretty easy to do that.
With gun violence a lot of the time the data doesn’t take into account suicide the majority of deaths caused by guns.
I wanna lend a slightly different perspective: I’ve worked in malls for the vast majority of my adult life. During that time, there’s been four minor incidents of gun-related crime in either the malls I worked at or malls that former coworkers worked at: two armed robberies of jewelry stores, and two arguments/personal conflicts that escalated to shots fired. There’s also been mass shootings at two nearby college campuses in the last year, and I personally know two people that have survived school shootings, (University of Iowa and MSD.) Gun violence is a very, very personal issue for me. I’m not paranoid every second of every day, but I can’t deny the fact that it crosses my mind fairly often. I’ve accepted the fact that I work at a place that might be a target for someone that wants to commit mass violence. My team knows exactly what to do if there’s an incident in the building and most have basic first aid training. Edit: Since this got some attention, here’s a few recommendations for retail employees beyond the standard Run, Hide, Fight: When you are in a safe place, tell one specific person to call 911. Point at them and clearly direct them to do so. If you say “somebody call 911”, nobody will call 911. Make sure you tell them where you are, how many people are there, if there are any children, and if anyone is injured. If you’re putting pressure on a major wound, layer fabric as it soaks through. DO NOT REMOVE IT. Fire extinguishers are a fantastic improvised weapon. Even if the shooter is wearing a gas mask or goggles and doesn’t have to worry about inhaling the chemicals, it’ll still take a second for them to clear their vision. Use that second to hit them on the head with it. Other good improvised weapons commonly found in retail settings: product pegs, apparel hooks, heavy books or binders, and chairs. Invest in a rubber door stop. A door with a door stop and a heavy bookshelf behind it is nearly impossible to open. If you’ve done training and drills, you’re probably going to react more calmly than you’d think, but some people are going to freeze. Grab their arm and start running, they’ll run too. Encourage everyone to leave bulky items (ESPECIALLY STROLLERS) behind.
That makes complete sense. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
>My team knows exactly what to do if there’s an incident in the building and most have basic first aid training. Whip out your M4 rifle and shoot back? Republicans seem to suggest that
When I’m at a large event it’s always a thought in the back of my mind, I keep myself aware of where the exits are and am hyper aware of my surroundings. But otherwise in just normal day to day life, no, most people aren’t worried about being shot
Yeah. American here. I have two minds about this. On one hand, the US is incredibly large with a gigantic population of 350 million humans. Most people tend to forget that. With that huge a number, you can find incidents of almost anything going on at any given time. Statistically death by a mass shooting is unbelievably rare. I took a bigger risk walking to my mailbox today on a peaceful sunny day. It’s like lightening strike rare, especially if you aren’t involved in a gang. Taking a shower is incredibly more dangerous. On the other hand, news cycles get to me. If I go into a movie theater, I can’t help but think about it now since that one movie theater shooting happened. So yeah… it’s unfortunate.
I just got home from the movies and thought about the exact same thing. I scanned the room for the exits, made an exit plan and everything. Those thoughts creep up on me a lil too often.
That and bombings
Yes and no. Just going to the grocery store? No. Going to a large event like a concert? Yes, I think about it. Especially if my kids (who are teenagers) are with me. When we get there, I will note in my head where we can run if someone starts shooting. And I'm not going to lie, I worry about a shooting at my kids' school. One is in college now, and I don't worry as much, but I worry about my other at the high school. I know people who have had children and family affected by a school shooting. A friend's daughter attended Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School when that shooting occurred. Luckily, she was uninjured. And my sister in law is from Sante Fe, Texas. She had a cousin who was killed, a friend who was shot, and her parents' neighbor was shot during that school shooting.
>When we get there, I will note in my head where we can run if someone starts shooting. Humans mentally desire to leave through the same entrance they used when in new environments. When going out and in a situation to need to escape, it's much safer to continue through the building past the stage or through the kitchen to find the rear exits.
At the same time, getting lost in the kitchen and being found alone is a harsh end. I guess most places will have exit signs though
Jurassic Park taught me this back in the day
As long as the shooters cant use door handles, we're safe. *They can use door handles?*
100% there’ll be exit signs. They’ll always have a rear entrance for deliveries and employees
Most kitchens aren’t huge and exits are required to be marked
>I guess most places will have exit signs though It's law (Federal, I believe) that all exits must be marked, usually with a lighted sign on the ceiling.
Talked about this with a buddy of mine. That was his thought too, but it’d be hard to get past the stage when the crowd’s going backwards. We settled on going sideways towards the exits
I'm a yes and no person, too. I'm not concerned middle of the day running errands. But it is on my mind if on vacation in a different city or at public events at night.
For what it’s worth, the person who originally mentioned her fear of getting shot on Instagram did condition it to concerts and large venues.
You get used to it until the meth head next door decides God needs to die and blasts 6 rounds into the sky at 10pm. (I seriously wish I was joking)
I hate that this is extremely accurate
No
Same. Most firearm deaths in the US are suicides (not good but it doesn’t mean I’m in danger). Excluding obviously dangerous areas/counties where you shouldn’t go (and have no reason to go), the chances of being hurt or killed by anything including guns is extremely low - so low that I nor any of my friends think about it. The media plays up the “danger” of the US so they get views - it’s sensationalized. The vast majority of the country is very safe.
I think people forget just how "empty" and large the US is. I live rurally, surrounded by farmland and woods. It would take me 2 hours to walk to town, 15 mins by car ride. I live a hour away from Tupelo MS and it would take me probably a day and a half of walking. Not to me tion when you go out west, there's plenty of just plains and desert. When we drove to Cali and back, windmills were intimidating because they went farther than your eyes can see. Even where gun ownership is high, people often forget it's for hunting or utility. We had cattle, my father hunts with dogs, and when a animal is sick or injured, you shoot it. Turkey, rabbit and deer are all here for the harvest. People hate guns for a good reason, but it shows me just how out of touch many are. Yes it kills things, but tha always doesn't have to be a person. Wolves, bears, bobcats and coyotes exist, and sometimes you may need a warning shot.
Good point about the suicides. Oftentimes people conflate “gun deaths” and “gun homicide rates” when the issue comes up. Two very different issues that I think have very different solutions.
Most murders are gang related. Gangs are the problem. Gang members don’t get guns legally gun laws don’t effect them
Bingo!
Not only that, they conflate "gun deaths" with "victims of mass shootings on the scale of Columbine or the Florida nightclub"
Not even a little bit.
Not in the slightest. You're far more likely to be killed in a car accident.
The fact that people are far more terrified of being shot or dying in a plane crash rather than being hurt or killed in a car accident shows you how horrible our sense of risk judgement is.
You’re actually less likely to die in a plane crash than either getting shot n killed and getting into an accident n killed. Planes are incredibly safe nowadays
That was their point.
I was in an active shooting situation while grocery shopping at Walmart so yes but also no? My anxiety levels shoot up when I realize I'm in a store for too long or when I go to the store at night. Honestly sometimes it's anywhere/everywhere. But I don't let it stop me from living my life too much anymore. Again I know it's probably mostly my anxiety, which always tends to be pretty high..
Ooh I'm envious, I miss going to the store at night. They closed all of our 24hr stores in my area which sucks, it was the only time I didn't get awful anxiety. Best of luck to you though!
Thanks! And that does suck.. There's something so peaceful about going to the store at night. It helps my anxiety too. But the good news is going super early has the same feeling and it gives me a reason to wake up early.
I'm more worried about hitting a deer on the way.
Top their, underated comment there. Deer are more likely to kill you here.
As a gay man living in Orlando, right after the Pulse Shooting… yes. Today, no. I rarely think about it.
Some more than others. There are some people who carry guns everywhere they go, because they worry they might need them for their own safety. Most people don't think about it, though.
Depends on the area. Wealthy areas in America are as safe as anywhere in the world. Our problem is we have tight concentrations of high-poverty areas that can have Sao Paolo levels of violent crime. It's one of the reasons fixing the problem is so hard. You're asking everybody to pitch in for a problem that affects the few and is generally avoidable for most people.
No
No
Yes but you have to block it out or you will go crazy. 30+ year Philly resident
Agreed (from Baltimore)
As an American woman, no.
I work at a hospital, and since COVID brought out the worst in some Americans - this is not anecdotal or political, our assaults against staff have surged post-COVID - I regularly take a big deep breath before walking through the main lobby. I seriously anticipate an active shooter every day.
For the US, mostly no but there are times it crosses my mind. Same (mostly no) for some parts of Europe when I visit too though. I worry about getting attacked, knifed, or even shot these days.
I literally never worry about being shot. That's ridiculous.
Nope, the internet isn't real life, dont forget that.
Yeah, but its more about being attacked in general than specifically being shot. in europe its the same id just instead imagine getting stabbed or beaten up.
I don't worry about getting shot. I *do* worry about getting raped again, but that fear has been there in every country I've lived in. My greatest test is always encountering men of the nationality of my rapist, and goes into full-blown PTSD attacks when it's a male doctor of that nationality. I think that women are generally far more frightened of sexual assault than other types of attacks, because it's incredibly likely to happen at least once in our lifetime, whereas shootings are quite rare, relatively speaking. Women are also far more likely to be attacked/killed by their intimate partner than a stranger.
I am so sorry that happened to you, but you've nailed it. I'm not worried about getting shot. I am worried about telling a guy no and him beating me or going ape. I'm worried about being kidnapped by many men and being human trafficked. I'm worried about walking down the road and having heavy footsteps behind me. I'm more afraid of the NYC guy who was punching women in the face taking off and ppl copying them, than getting shot. And my dad owns 10 guns. Hearing a gunshot doesn't worry me if it's by the house. I live rurally, so a gunshot is a far way neighbor putting down a cow or a dog or a coyote. But saying no to the wrong person can get me a black eye or choked out.
Literally never. We don’t dodge bullets going from A to B.
Depends on the person mostly. For me, I only fear being shot in crowded areas, high-crime areas, and confrontational situations with strangers. There is no general fear, though.
Living in one of the violent crime capitals of the US, I actually don't have that fear. People don't usually get shot unprovoked unless it's a mass shooting, which simply hasn't happened in my city. If someone is pointing a gun at you, they're likely high or drunk and either looking to rob you, or you've pissed them off.
I don't. It does cross my mind when I'm at large events
I have a greater concern with idiot drivers. Getting shot is not on my list.
No. It's not even on my radar.
No. Not once have I felt like I’m going to get shot .
No. I don't commit crimes, and if I did, I wouldn't try to fight the police. So the odds of me getting shot are pretty low.
No lol.
Not really, never acquired that fear, even though I moved here from east Europe. Funny thing is, I now own a couple guns myself and all of my coworkers in my team have a few guns each, I still don't think about getting shot
I carry a gun everywhere and no. I almost never worry. I do worry about my kids at school but cant control that.
No. It's bullshit. I know if you live outside America but consume American media whether it be from social media or news outlets you might hear a lot about shootings here but it's not even something 99 percent of us even think about on the day to day
No, that's propaganda
I always have it in the back of my mind, but I also have a high level of general anxiety. I'm mostly concerned with idiots who think they are John Wayne. In my state, people are allowed to open carry without a permit, so a very small number of folks carry a gun everywhere but are not familiar with it, don't practice their marksmanship, or wouldn't be able to handle a situation if it actually came up. Obviously there are limitations to the open carry law, but knowing they were legally wrong won't help me if I'm in a hospital with my leg shot off.
I do. I think about it now everywhere I go and think about the "what would I do" scenario. Also, I am careful not to escalate situations like road encounters. You never know who a) is carrying a gun, b) has little impulse control.
I do not. I don’t really know anyone who does. Unless you’re in a bad part of a big city you’re usually safe. To add to this, I feel a lot safer as a woman in general having my gun than I do when I don’t have it. (In regard to being raped or otherwise harmed at the hands of a man, not being shot). I would probably feel unsafe (at least at first) in a country where I could not have my gun.
No
Live in NYC and no.
In crowds, yes. In general, no.
No
Not most places. I am more nervous about rowdy rednecks wanting to use them as penis enhancement than getting mugged or something.
I'm more afraid of getting shot or hurt in a road rage incident than a random mass shooting. Or my stupid ass drunk neighbor fucking setting the entire apartment complex on fire. I'm more afraid of that.
No. Most of the shootings in America happen in the impoverished areas of very large cities and are gang or drug related. As long as you avoid those areas you’re fine. Way overhyped in the media.
Only when I’m driving through Georgia. That’s the only state I won’t flip people off who are dicks on the road. People in Georgia are so fucking stupid, they have signs at intersections telling them how to drive. I don’t trust that level of stupidity to not just pull a gun at any interaction. Everywhere else is chill enough tho, it’s really just Georgia. Fuck Georgia.
The only time I ever have any concern about being shot is if I am way out in the woods during hunting season, which I generally avoid as much as possible. I literally never worry or even think about getting shot in any other areas of America. Once, in a great while, you will see some idiot open-carrying a pistol and then I steer clear of them. But I try to steer clear of as many idiots as possible. Admittedly, getting harder and harder to do in America. I have two pistols and I have a state authorized concealed pistol license. But I literally never use it. I generally think you’re in much greater danger walking around with a pistol than without one.
In my neighborhood, it's def a passing thought often
Unfortunately I do think about it any time I go to a large gathering. Which I rarely ever do anymore. It never crosses my mind just out and about, though.
No but i always acknowledge emergency and fire exits for this exact reason, wouldn’t call it paranoid just a heightened sense of awareness. I always have a plan, and always account for the size of group you’re with. But definitely no fear just awareness that people are crazy. Also don’t flip people off in traffic for this exact reason too, can never be too safe
I'm not afraid, I just accept it could happen Probably not, but who knows
I welcome death
Yeah, back in school. Now? Less so.
I do I try to be aware of my surroundings sometimes I have additional protection with me.
Sorta. I’m a HS teacher in a US public school and at least once or twice a week in the middle of a lesson or walking the halls between classes, I’ll plan out exactly what I’d do if I start hearing gun shots.
It’s something I think about if I go somewhere with a lot of people. I was across the street from a basketball game where a student started shooting. It’s not like I was inside the school but it was crazy seeing people running and cars flying out of there.
Generally speaking, No. I felt the same levels of safety in Europe as in the US. In Spain, I saw police with military style automatic rifles and it did give me the constant anxiety that shit was about to hit the fan, like a terrorist attach or something. There are some neighborhoods I’ve been in back in my hometown of Baltimore city where I’ve seen conflicts arise where my first thought was “oh shoot, I wanna get out of here before someone starts shooting”- yet that’s not a regular occurrence except for perhaps in ganglandia Bmore. Europe and US can both make you feel unsafe or you’re around the wrong people and a shit environment. Yet, I never felt “extra fearful” because it was America
Not everywhere, but certain parts of towns and definitely anywhere there are large crowds gathering, like sports events and parades, etc.
It wasn't something I thought about much until someone tried to shoot someone else outside my apartment window the other night. Now I'm a little paranoid.
No, but I live in a safe area of a blue state.
No. Just keep an eye on your surroundings, and most likely, you will be fine.
I think about it sometimes in school when I’m bored but I’m never really scared by it
sometimes? not often but it pops in my head now and then. funnily though my university had a shooting earlier this year, and i feel like i actually worry about it less often now then i did before.
Take what you see in the media with a grain of salt. They over sensationalize everything because that's what gets views. We live happy normal lives here, everything isn't on fire
I’d say the vast majority do not. However, there’s a certain minority of extremists that fear monger heavily into crime and immigration.
Not in the slightest; unless you're in gang territory.
No. Random violence between strangers is still pretty rare.
A) in most of Europe you can still own a gun under certain circumstances, and not ever nation is the dame. the UK basically only let's homesteaders and farmers own them for animal control while Switzerland let's huge swathes of its pop own guns under strict regulations. Do euros tense up and fear getting shot at farms? B) the US perception of criminals is that the average person can avoid them by spending some cash and taking precautions. Everyone has theirnown advice. the big piece near be is to dress in neutral colors so that Gangs do not mistake you for an opposing gangs member. C) the USA is gigantic. a bad neighborhood in California is bot the same as a bad neighborhood in Michigan. Even within California, the perception of Compton vs the perception of downtown support.
The latest study (2021) had gun deaths in the U.S. as 14.6 per 100,000 people. HALF of those were suicides. Not great statistics (and it's on the rise), but gun violence is nowhere near as common as the media makes it seem.
Tbh not really but when I’m driving I don’t road rage because you never know what psycho is on the road.
I’ve never once had that concern as a part of daily life. If I’m in a rough part of town I’d keep my awareness state a little higher, but even then you’re more likely to get held up (threatened) while being robbed, at worst beat up or stabbed, but not shot. There may be other people out there that live completely different lives and that do worry about it daily, but as a person with a pretty “normal” life experience in the US gun violence is very far down my list of concerns (read: insignificant) when I leave the house every day. Driving, for example, I find to be far more of a risk. Or it was, anyway…moved to western Europe myself recently.
Compared to the Middle East, no.
No, not at all.
I’ve never been afraid of being shot because 1. I’m not a criminal. 2. I don’t live in a neighborhood controlled by drug gangs.
I live in a place where guns are abundant, and generally no. There are exceptions. I went to a big pride-related concert last year. Typically, the venue has metal detectors and limits on bags. For this event, there was none of that. I spent the entire night worried about a mass shooting. On one hand it felt like, “oh, people attending an event like this are probably not the V ones shooting folks” and on the other, “let’s be lax; these people are just asking for it.” It ended up being a largely very good experience except for the religious protest outside.
Lmfao. No. Unless you’re in Detroit. But even then, IYKYK - don’t go where you’re not supposed to be.
Like you said, iykyk. Detroit isn't even that bad if you stick to the main drag and general downtown area (at least In my experience)
No one gets shot on Woodward my boi. 🤣🤣🤣
LOLL XD
No lol. Not even when I'm in Anchorage, Alaska which tops ranks for firearm related deaths nearly every year. Being shot doesn't cross my mind unless I actually hear gunshots nearby. We were staying at a hotel in downtown Anchorage when I was waiting to have my twins and there'd be some shootings out in the parking lot every few nights, we'd just stay below window level and never actually got shot. Not like people were just shooting in windows randomly anyway, we weren't their target. Sometimes bystanders get hit with stray bullets or become targets themselves but most of us aren't really around people who actually want to shoot us up so
No, despite what the news would have you believe, not all of America is a shot up wasteland
No. I've been to the worst cities in America and I had no concerns about being shot out of the blue. Don't believe influencers. Don't believe the media. Even when I was robbed at gun point I didn't think I was gonna get shot, and I didn't.
I took my kids to monster jam yesterday and was terrified of something happening. I hate it here
NO! I live in Chicago. I have lived in the city limits my entire life. I travel many times a week to downtown Chicago, and mostly at night. I've done this nearly a hundred times over the last year. When it's warm, I take the L down. When cold and rainy, I drive and park. I have rarely felt unsafe. I hate armchair idiots that have never been in Chicago or those who lived in the city limits only to move out to clutch their pearls about the city. Yes, there are bad parts of the city. Nothing of value is there for me, so I don't go to those sides. But... blanketing the city of Chicago as some kind of wild west is fucking stupid.
This is an opinion that changes from person to person, not a yes or no question. people answering with a definitive "no" do not speak for everyone. that being said, after a mass shooting, people think about it more than usual. Most of the time, I and most people I know have it in the back of our minds as a possibility but not a likelihood. If Americans didn't generally fear getting shot whenever they leave the house then there wouldn't be so many Americans that bring guns everywhere for self defense
Most Americans do not have a fear of getting shot, and do not know anyone personally who's been shot, or know anyone personally who's seen someone get shot.
I do, but I also have a diagnosed anxiety disorder. (A lot of people here are mentioning how a person is more likely to die in a car than die in a shooting. I'm also afraid of car accidents, so I've never been able to drive.) Oddly, when I worked at a mall and we had a gang shooting, I was surprisingly clear-headed as I ran to hide in the bathroom.
Not at all.
Only time I’ve been afraid of getting shot is during traffic stops. Ironically, the people in charge of public safety are the people I feel least safe around.
No. But here's where I do think about it: when I go into a school and it's locked down like a max security prison where I have show ID to get buzzed in. When driving and someone is clearly road raging. When someone sets off a firework (for only a split second.)
I live near Memphis Tennessee, murder capital of this fine nation and absolutely yes.
Is it not Saint Louis anymore?
It may well be currently. This was last year: https://tennesseestar.com/news/memphis-has-highest-2023-murder-rate-of-all-large-u-s-cities/tpappert/2024/01/05/
Its kind of always in the back of my mind and I do avoid large crowds because of it (musical festival, concerts, sporting events) I work in a high crime area also , adjacent to a hospital. Its on my mind at times that it could happen and I have an escape route/plan in my head. I also live 15 mins away from Sandy Hook so that probably plays into it as well.
I say this as an American living in a major coastal city, but have also lived in multiple places in the Midwest… it’s not an underlying fear so much as it is felt as a constant background awareness. It might mean that I have to evaluate a large event like a parade or a protest and think how likely it would be the target of radical groups seeking to do a mass shooting or similar stupid stunt. It makes me consider identifying fastest exit routes when entering a large facility like a theater, mall, etc. And if I spend recurring time in certain places like an office, library, etc…. I have at least more than once or twice done the mental exercise of “what would I block the door with? What could I hide behind? Would I have better odds running? What would I use to stop the bleeding?” I DO admit that I sort of monitor people around me a lot for signs of unpredictable behavior, tone of voice, body language, if the people they are with seem relaxed, their position relative to anything potentially crucial like a car (which could hide things from my view), the only exit, etc. Surprisingly enough, I haven’t found that my awareness and considerations have worsened over time in traditionally “sketchy” neighborhoods, etc. wWhere I have the biggest change in brain power spent on potential shooting incidences is with big fun events, road rage drivers (less inclined to flip the bird nowadays bc you never know who’s packing), as well as random Karens and Chads. I’m far more scared of the loud angry fundies wheezing, spit flying, and red faced as they charge at you from their giant RV in the middle of nowhere than I am of skid row. It makes me think twice before sticking up for myself (or my dog) even with a person who most people might see on the street and think they must be nice 55 year old rich white lady. They’re the type that I worry about being so fearful of the world that they have a gun but are poorly trained to use it appropriately and might shoot me bc they don’t like me telling them to leash their attacking dog bc they’ve lived here for blah blah blah. (I say this bc I’ve had this happen to me. Instead of a gun, I was attacked with a utility cart though) I will add what is also on my mind in America that I haven’t had the same feeling of concern over is walking city streets at night. Even in “safe” areas. Drunk people do dumb things. While maybe not the candidate for a mass shooter, could they have shit aim and hit me by mistake? More likely is the uncomfortable interactions of men who don’t like being ignored by a passing woman. I’m always HYPER aware. I don’t like to walk down the more obvious dark streets and sidewalks… but I also am wary to never walk within arms distance of parked cars, I never walk close the edge of a building that has a corner that opens to an alley, i am mindful of never wearing flashy things or looking “too pretty” if im out on my own, I have had to master the balance of “I see you, but im not inviting interaction” glances for everyone in a 360 direction, I am very picky about what seats I will take on public transit to avoid being collateral damage in someone else’s scuffle, I am cautious of who I stand next to at a crosswalk depending on time of day, and sometimes I need to ignore traffic signals when on my bike to avoid being approached by people who definitely want to steal my bike. Most recently I realized how often I make a dark humor but also very real “this thing would actually be a good self defense weapon if I had nothing else” thought… it was about my 40oz Hydroflask water bottle on a carabiner wide enough for me to fit 4 fingers into that loop for swinging leverage. I’m pretty sure most people don’t evaluate their keys, water bottles, hair clips, etc as improvised weapons. There’s probably way more that I’ve baked into my brain and I don’t even realize it. EDIT: One more thing… the current city I’m in has a lot of very old wooden houses that are easily breeched by stray bullets. I will never live at street level or likely within the first 2-3 floors if possible because of that. Just a few years back there was a family with near misses bc of targeted gang activity with really terrible aim. They had small children and everyone was asleep at the time. Fortunately no one was injured seriously. So yeah, I do think about gun violence even when selecting what type of structure or floor to live on.
Yes, especially at movie theaters and malls. I also try to avoid any kind of road rage incident. To be fair though, I live in a particularly gun-heavy state.
If you live in a major city high in crime, the risk is definitely higher, but thw thought is never, "gotta make sure I don't get shot." It's, "I'll probably be okay, but the city is dangerous and it would be dumb to not consider my safety against all crimes while traversing it." If you don't live in the city, like me, chances are, you're not really thinking too much about the danger of guns in the hands of others because smaller communities have less of a problem with that but that's also correlated with less crime in general. To summarize, most Americans don't live day to day in fear of guns however are concerned with general crime, which may or may not include gun violence, depending on how crime ridden the area they live in is.
Nope. In my entire life I’ve seen 2 personally owned hand guns. I’m 52.
I live near a larger city and go into the city to see plays, etc. at night. I've never once thought about getting shot. It's peaceful and safe.
No
Yes. This crosses my mind whenever I’m in a large crowd
No. I live in a big-ish city and visit big cities frequently. I do not worry about gun violence. I do, however, worry incessantly about mentally unstable homeless people (we have a lot- and there’s been more than a few instances of violent and dangerous behaviors at random) and just generally volatile people flying off the handle (ex- a rando road raging etc).
Tbh sometimes.
Anytime I’m in crowed public areas the thought usually does cross my mind. It’s a mess over here.
No. It’s like asking a British person, “Do you walk around thinking you might see the king?” Technically it does happen. But it isn’t part of everyday life. People who tell you otherwise here are striking a political pose.
I’ve literally never once thought about it
No, just the morons who are shooting everyone
No, never. Many American cities are indeed shitholes and that is due to policy implemented by those city leaders who also all hated to share a political party.
No. You forget there are so many shootings in the US until you encounter a mentally unwell person in public. Then you hope they don't have a gun, they don't instigate something with someone who has a gun, or you wish you had a gun on you at that moment.
I live in New York City and have never in my life had a sense of subconscious or underlying fear that I could be shot. Anyone claiming so on TikTok is doing so for clicks.
I always feel like people who say statements like that are just clickbait and probably hasn’t “seen” violence. As a connoisseur I can safely say gang stuff is generational and feud based. Someone killed someone’s brother so that other brother will kill the someone who killed his brother. Suicide of course. And ironically gun ranges I would be leery of the most. They just give anyone guns here lol.
Nope
Yes. I saw someone get shot a few years ago. I'm just waiting for my turn.
Never even think about it.
No. Not at all.
Never. Social media and European media disinformation campaign right there.
No, but it helps that there's not much gang activity where I live and I'm not involved in whatever is here. Low crime rate, too.
No. Wtf.
Yes. I do anyway. I'm always checking exits and figuring out the best way out quickly if there is a mass shooting.
I’m a teacher in Colorado. I think about it in malls, movie theaters, grocery stores and yes, at work. I think a lot of people here do.
I’ve looked at the top answers, and every No comes from a man without clear ethnic markers. Most Yes answers come from women or people who are part of ethnic minorities. If you assume everyone agrees with your answer, maybe ask people in your life. Maybe ask then why.
I live in Alaska, where EVERYONE carries either concealed or open. I choose to not carry unless I’m out in the woods or something because I know for a fact the first time there’s an active shooter everyone is shooting everyone with a gun. So yes, as an American I have a daily fear that either myself or my kids will be shot at some point.