It's always interesting when perception comes into play. And there most certainly is a perception held by many who do not live in the US (even by many who do live in the US) that guns have become an unwanted part of life in the US.
And yes, the perception does come from media coverage of violence involving guns... it is not rare & not sporadic - it seems to happen weekly and at times daily. It is as wide spread as the geography of the country itself.
Are some becoming desensitized to
the incidents? Maybe. But to say it is rare or infrequent is simply not the case. Recent history bears out the numbers - a quick Google search brings up places, dates, numbers, wounded, & deceased.
An elementary school in Newtown CT, a high school in Columbine, a workplace party in California, a University in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, a Church in Charleston, a Movie theater in Denver, LAX in Los Angeles, a nightclub in Orlando - and last night a Macy's near Seattle.. People shooting at people, police shooting at people, On streets, in a park, in cars, in homes, at malls or on public transit... And often it's followed by large protests, gatherings, riots carried live on TV. Oh it's there and it's not just in certain parts of the country or in certain kinds of communities. Hence the perception. American news channels & International news channels put it right out there on the record. In plain sight.
It does scare some people.
The OP is worried and scared by her own admission - and who are any of us to question her very real emotions? Those emotions are based on what is clearly being covered in the media - what she is watching. Some are more sensitive to it then others. It isn't fiction, it's repeated incidents being reported - sensationalized or not - if it wasn't happening there would be nothing to report.
Tigercat, you will be fine. Many, many make the same trip on the same roads all year long as you will make. And those many, make the trip without incident or crisis. Be smart, be informed & be safe!