Friday Question of the Day – Does Hearing About Violent Crime Affect Where You’ll Visit?

Last night I saw the smallest message from MPD:

“MPD is working a shooting at 8th and V St NW.”

Then a reader sent the following from The Washington Post:

“Three young men were shot and seriously wounded Wednesday night in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. police said.

Several off-duty officers near the 9:30 club, a popular music venue, heard gunshots about 7:40 p.m., said assistant police chief Diane Groomes. The off-duty officers then ran about two blocks to Eighth and V streets, where they found two victims, Groomes said. The third wounded man, who had also been shot around Eighth and V, ran a few blocks to a nearby McDonald’s.”

I have to admit, hearing about a triple shooting doesn’t have the same effect on me as it used to. Sadly. I’ve become a bit emotionally numb to stories about violence like this. It still upsets me terribly initially but then before I even realize it, I sorta shrug it off. Sadly. But since this one was near 9:30 Club it got me wondering if/how it affects others.

Whether folks like it or not, from time to time there is violence all over the city, on U St, in other parts of Shaw, Columbia Heights, Chinatown, Petworth, Park View, Mt. Vernon Square, Mt. Pleasant, Adams Morgan, H St, NE, Hill East even Georgetown and Cleveland Park etc etc. Nearly all neighborhoods in DC experience violence at one time or another. Sadly.

But my question is – when you read about events like this does it ever stop you from going somewhere like a particular neighborhood? Is there a cumulative effect?  When you hear about fights/violence and/or shootings in a neighborhood are you less likely to visit that neighborhood? (I’m not even talking about moving to, I’m just talking about visiting.) Does reading about violent incidents in the city make you change your behavior at all? Or do you sorta shake your head in disgust and sadness and carry on? And what if you happen to live in that neighborhood, how do you cope with hearing about violence like this?