Because they're a widely available part of the culture and are effective at enacting mass violence by those who want to, they've been used in what seems to be a

Because they're a widely available part of the culture and are effective at enacting mass violence by those who want to, they've been used in what seems to be an endless stream of tragedies. But these tragedies are not something any given person in the US is likely to ever encounter first-hand. It's a real big country and your frequency measure is more "geez, don't you thinn we should do something?!" more than "whelp, let's hope I don't get shot today" As far as geographic difference and the prior commenter's statement, the biggest relevant difference for you would be that you will probably never see someone bearing a gun in San Fransisco and will almost certainly see many people doing over the course of any stay in Texas. That's an internal cultural thing, and involves a combination of regional regulations and regional aesthetics. Both states are safe, though. Frankly -- if this is an otherwise exciting opportunity for you, you really shouldn't let the gun thing get in your way.