One common element is the unexpectedness. Guns can be fired suddenly, like in a case where a hunter's gun misfired while he was cleaning it, injuring himself badly. Another element is the misuse. For instance, when someone uses a gun in a fit of rage during an argument instead of resolving it peacefully. Also, the presence of bystanders who get hurt is a frequent aspect. Just like when a stray bullet from a street shooting hits an unsuspecting pedestrian.
Often, in gun horror stories, there is a lack of proper gun safety knowledge. A lot of accidents happen because people don't know how to handle guns correctly. For example, not checking if a gun is loaded before handling it. Another common element is the easy access to guns. In some areas, guns are too readily available, which leads to more incidents. And then there's the human factor of fear and panic. When a gun is present, people can overreact, leading to more chaos and danger, like in a bank robbery situation where a security guard's panicked shooting caused more harm than good.
Fear and panic are always present. When gunshots are heard, people immediately start to run, scream, and try to find cover. Also, the long - term trauma for the survivors and the families of the victims is a common aspect. They have to deal with the emotional and psychological aftermath for years. In many cases, the shooters are often individuals with some sort of mental or emotional distress that has not been properly addressed.
One common element is the presence of an armed and dangerous person. This could be a criminal or someone in a fit of rage. Another is the fear of the victims, like the look of terror on their faces. Also, the unexpectedness of when a gun is fired. For example, in a robbery, the victims don't know when the robber might pull the trigger.
Isolation. Often, in IT horror stories, the characters are isolated. For example, a lone system administrator might be the only one in the server room when something strange starts to happen with the servers. Another common element is the loss of control. The technology that is supposed to be under human control suddenly starts acting on its own, like a self - driving car going berserk in an IT - related horror scenario.
Horror stories often feature a protagonist who is in over their head. They might start out as an ordinary person, like in 'Rosemary's Baby' where Rosemary is just a normal woman, but then they are thrust into a terrifying situation. Settings also play a big role. Abandoned asylums, cemeteries, and old mansions are common settings in horror stories as they have an air of mystery and danger already associated with them.
Fear of death is a big element in horror stories. The threat of death, whether it's from a serial killer or a supernatural force, is always present. Also, there's often a sense of helplessness. The characters find themselves in situations where they seem to have little control over what's happening to them. For instance, in 'The Blair Witch Project', the characters are lost in the woods and being hunted by an unknown entity. There's also the use of suspense. Writers build up the tension by delaying the reveal of the horror, making the readers or viewers more and more anxious as the story progresses.
There might be a case where a gun shop gets robbed. The robbers, armed with their own weapons, storm in and hold the employees and customers at gunpoint. They steal valuable firearms, leaving everyone in the shop terrified. And it also poses a great danger as those stolen guns could end up in the wrong hands and be used for illegal activities.
One horror story could be when a gun store owner accidentally sold a firearm to a person with a serious criminal record. The owner didn't do proper background checks. Later, that person was involved in a violent crime using the gun from the store. It put the whole community in danger and the store got a lot of bad publicity.
One horror story could be about a malfunctioning gun at the range. A person was shooting and suddenly the gun jammed in a really bad way. The bullet got stuck halfway out of the chamber and the shooter didn't know how to handle it properly. It was a scary situation as there were other people around and the gun could have potentially misfired if not dealt with carefully.
One common element is the sense of wonder. When they first held a gun, it was like a new world opening up. Another is the role of family. Often, it was a family member who introduced them to guns. For example, a grandfather showing his grandson an old rifle.
Another is the discovery of strange or disturbing behavior during the date. Like the person having extreme mood swings or being overly possessive. For example, suddenly getting angry for no reason or acting like they own the other person right away.