Amos quoted a very good point of view, "What I've concluded from decades of working with murderers and rapists and every kind of violent criminal," he said, "is that an underlying factor that is virtually always present to one degree or another is a feeling that one has to prove one's manhood, and that the way to do that, to gain the respect that has been lost, is to commit a violent act."

I would add that the use of a firearm makes it much easier for those with low self-esteem (cowards) to perform acts of violence. When you use a weapon, you are placing an object between you and the victim which makes it easier than using your fists or other parts of your body.

Depending on the weapon (club, knife, gun, etc.), the person assaulting the victim has an opportunity to distance himself accordingly. The criminal is able to avoid or deny personal responsibility or risk any harm to himself. With a gun, you don't even have to make contact. Its the perfect weapon for a coward.

A person who is mentally unbalanced can say to himself, I didn't feel anything, therefore I didn't do it. It wasn't me, it was someone else that made me pull the trigger. Its their fault for making me do this.