The last American known to be living in Damascus says he feels safer in Syria's capital than in the U.S. because of American gun violence.

Thomas Webber, 71, grew up outside Buffalo, New York, but moved to Syria in 1975 when he was offered a teaching position at an American school there. He's lived in the country ever since.

Many American expats left Syria as civil war broke out in 2011, but Webber has no plans to leave. "I have the choice of any country, including America, and I choose to stay here," Webber told The Associated Press earlier this month. "It's part of my heart now."

In an interview with BBC on Thursday, Webber said the cease-fire agreement between world powers that went into effect last month has increased stability in the region to the point that he actually feels more secure in Syria than he would in the United States.

"Since the cease-fire, I feel safer, believe it or not. I feel safer in Damascus than I do in any American city," Webber said. "In Damascus, I know who has the guns. In America, everybody has a gun. And in America, you have these very strange people firing on a school, on a cinema, [on the] streets of every major city in America. It's really a shame."