Heartbreaking, really.
I grew up feeling totally safe everywhere around here and to find out that it was no longer so was a rude and rather depressing awakening.
That is very sad. My wife is of the same worldview you once had. She grew up in a tiny Texas town where no crime ever occured, and she had never been faced with tragedy. It has taken quite a bit of effort to disabuse her of her ignorance, and transform her into a jaded cynic, but I persevere.