I do know that various shootings have occurred at Oxford Road and at Cemetary Junction. However, I've never had trouble there as I've never really bothered to venture there.
I've had trouble in Reading before. Was mugged by two guys claiming to have a gun once. In retrospect it was quite amusing: the muggers were like a sketch out of a cartoon - one was some scrawny wigger chav; the other was his black sidekick who must have been no taller than 5'0". LOL. Still, it's not worth risking getting shot or anything. Though, luckily for me, when I put my phone in one of the mugger's hands, I snatched it back straight away. Not so lucky for my friends, though; they didn't have the bottle to snatch their phones back.
I'd also recommend avoiding Forbury Gardens (if it's still open). The last time I went there, some acquaintances and I were attacked by this large Fred Durst lookalike who actually bit us. Foul person; I hope he got a kicking from some other unsuspecting stranger he did it to.
My next door neighbour was also attacked by some chavs in Reading once. They approached him at the station and started accusing him of stuff; then they decided to hit a girl. The perpetrators were black, and they only attacked the whites in the group (my next door neighbour was with his black friends). He was started on because he knew an enemy of said group, but the racial element was still quite apparent.
Crikey, I should get back to doing some work!