In South Africa the use of fire arms for protection is very high. On a Friday and Saturday night I will hear gunshots at least twice during the night. We have armed patrols in our neighborhood which we have to pay for.
I have been back 14 years now and on two occasions my neighbors have had shoot outs in their back yard. The threat here is real and the reason why I moved into a secure community protected by armed guards. I honestly would not live outside a community again as the chances of become another statistic are just too high.