About 7% of U.S. adults have witnessed a mass shooting, according to a [new study](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2831132). And 2% have been injured during one –shot, hit by shrapnel or trampled by people trying to flee.
The senior author says, “This study confirms that mass shootings are not isolated tragedies but rather a reality that reaches a substantial portion of the population, with profound physical and psychological consequences.”
Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 adults nationwide asking them, “Have you personally ever been physically present on the scene of a mass shooting in your lifetime?”
A mass shooting was defined as a gun-related crime where four or more people were shot in a public spaceand “physically present” as being in the immediate vicinity, including being able to see the shooter or hear the gunfire.
1 in 15 participants answered yes.
The results also showed younger generations were more likely to be exposed to a mass shooting than their parents or grandparents.And generation Z – those born after 1996 – were at the greatest risk.
The researchers say about three-quarters of people who experience a mass shooting, but are uninjured, still suffer fear, anxiety and depression.
They will be reporting more about the mental health impact of these tragedies in an upcoming paper.
Source: [JAMA Network Open](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2831132)
Author Affiliations: University of Colorado Boulder