NEW YORK, March 21 (Xinhua) — The lives of thousands of residents of Philadelphia, the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, have been affected by gun violence, and they view the prospects negatively. out of town because of it, local daily Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.
Nearly 50% of Philadelphia residents polled in a recent poll said gun violence had a major negative impact on their quality of life, according to the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and research firm SSRS, and 64% of respondents said they had heard gunshots in their neighborhood in the past year.
“African American and Hispanic residents were much more likely to agree with this statement than white residents, as were less affluent residents compared to more affluent,” the newspaper noted.
The responses underscore the reality of life in a shooting crisis that has claimed more than 1,500 lives in just three years and affected most neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
In interviews with nearly a dozen residents, people reported a constant fear of city life. Many said they have changed their habits in recent years, following the upsurge in shootings, and are now limiting time spent outdoors, especially at night, the study added. END
