Luckily I live in Australia, and with the lack of guns on the street, and my hand to hand combat training, I have zero need to live in fear. If I am within 10 feet of someone, I can have them unconscious, or dead, within 2 seconds if I have to.
What about those folks who don't have "hand to hand combat training", or the physical aptitude to even use it, such as the elderly, small women, handicapped, etc.? How do they defend themselves? Or are they at the mercy of the good will of people such as you?