The priority for a patient who is homicidal is to determine if they have a plan and how realistic the plan is. Asking the patient why he wants to kill him could be perceived as threatening or siding with his antagonist, and may prevent further therapeutic communication. Having the patient reflect on the cause of his dislike is not as important as ascertaining if the patient has a realistic plan. Assessing the patient’s access to firearms is only important if the patient’s plan is to use firearms to kill him. Assessment for the presence of a plan should occur prior to evaluation or if the plan is realistic.