NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Most gun deaths in the United States are perpetrated by men, reflecting a general lack of knowledge in effectively managing negative emotions, reported The Colorado Sun on Monday.

In U.S. suicides, men make up 80 percent of all deaths, with over half involving a gun; in homicides, more than 80 percent are committed by men, 80 percent of which are carried out with guns, according to the report.

In public mass shootings, 98 percent of shooters are men, with assault weapons being the weapon of choice in 52 percent of the most deadly events. Even shootings by law enforcement are majority men, it noted.

"Opponents of gun safety legislation will often argue that mental health is more to blame for gun violence than access to guns, despite that every other developed nation has mental health issues and nowhere near the number of gun deaths per year as in America," said the report.

The data show that easy access to a large number of guns is the most pressing part of the problem, but opponents of gun safety legislation are correct in that mental health is at least part of the equation, it said.

"The caveat is that it's not mental health for everyone; it's mental health issues for men," it added.

Gun violence continues to stoke fear and threaten lives in America, and there's no doubt that more robust gun safety policies are part of the solution. "But if we're serious about tackling the whole issue of gun violence, then we must also ask ourselves why so many men turn to guns instead of words to deal with their emotions," the report said.