Good Evening Ribit!
As a "Liberal" of the "Slinkiest" kind, I agree with your interpretation, although as an attorney I tend to think that his blood alcohol level should have made a first degree conviction easier for the jury to accomodate.
And then they could blow his head off, or electrocute him, or poison him, or perhaps use gas. Whatever.
The man knew the caliber of his own weapon. He knew the quality of the rounds. He knew he would penetrate the body of the vehicle. He knew fatal injury would likely occur.
Most people don't carry weapons. And even fewer people carry weapons in public.
The killer states that he thought his victim had a gun.
The killer is a gun carrier. He thinks more people have guns than actually do. The killer lives in an armed world because he is armed. The killer is carrying a gun because he will use it.
I say in a world where you can let lunatics roam the streets with concealed weapons it makes sense to kill a few to make the others behave.