In-person and media gun violence exposure in the United States: prevalence and disparities in a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of adults.

Background: Knowledge remains limited about how people experience different types of exposure to gun violence. We analyzed the prevalence of in-person and media gun violence exposure (GVE) in a nationally representative sample of US adults. Methods: Data were collected from 8009 US adults in May 2024, using design weights for representativeness. We measured in-person GVE, including direct (e.g., being shot) and indirect (e.g., hearing gunshots) exposures, along with frequency of exposure via traditional and social media. Exposures were analyzed by racial/ethnic group and household income. Multivariable associations were estimated using weighted multilevel mixed-effects regression models. Findings: Significant racial/ethnic disparities in GVE were observed. Black Americans reported higher prevalence of all individual exposures (e.g., 38.5% of Black Americans [N = 337] know a family member or friend who has been shot vs. 25.53% of Hispanic Americans [N = 265] and 15.78% of White Americans [N = 849]), except firearm suicide. Black adults had higher media GVE, and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was consistently linked to greater in-person exposure. Racial/ethnic disparities remained in multivariable models, including cumulative in-person exposure (Black beta [β] = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.17-0.41, p < 0.0001; Hispanic β = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.24, p = 0.018) and high media exposure (Black odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.20-2.05, p = 0.001). Interpretation: Nearly two-thirds of US adults have experienced in-person gun violence. Marked racial/ethnic disparities for both in-person and media GVE call for comprehensive strategies to reduce gun violence. Funding: Authors are affiliated with the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, funded by the NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.