NEW YORK, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The lives of thousands of people in Philadelphia, the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, have been adversely affected by gun violence, and they feel negatively about the city's prospects because of it, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday.
Nearly 50 percent of Philadelphians in a recent poll said that gun violence has had a major negative impact on their quality of life, per the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and research firm SSRS, and 64 percent of respondents said they have heard gunshots in their neighborhood in the last year.
"Black and Hispanic residents were much more likely to agree with that statement than white residents, as well as less affluent residents compared with wealthier ones," the report noted.
The responses underscored the reality of living in a shooting crisis that has claimed more than 1,500 lives in just three years, and touched most Philadelphia neighborhoods, it said.
In interviews with nearly a dozen residents, people conveyed an ever-present fear of life in the city. Many said they've changed their habits in recent years as shootings have spiked, and now limit their time spent outdoors, especially at night, it added.
