Rep. Ralph Norman said Monday that the reason he pulled out his loaded gun during a meeting with constituents was to prove guns are not the problem in the national debate about mass violence.

“The only reason I pulled a gun out, well placed the gun on the table, was to prove the point that the gun doesn’t shoot by itself,” Mr. Norman, South Carolina Republican, said on Fox News.

The congressman’s action during a “Coffee with Constituents” meeting become national news on Friday when he took out his loaded .38-caliber handgun, according to a USA Today report. He also reportedly referenced former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at an event with her constituents in 2011.

“I”m not going to be Gabby Giffords,” Mr. Norman said.