The New Jersey family of the suspected LAX gunman said in a statement Monday that they "are shocked and numbed" by the fatal shooting, and expressed sympathy to the relatives of the TSA agent killed.
An attorney for the Pennsville, N.J., family of 23-year-old Paul Ciancia also said Monday that his relatives are hoping for the recovery of the other victims and are sorry for the disruption caused travelers.
"Our hearts go out to his family and many others who grieve his passing," the family said in the statement read by lawyer John Jordan.
"Paul is our son and brother. We will continue to love him and care for him. We will support him during the difficult times ahead," the statement said. "While we do not mean to minimize the grief and the stress experienced by many other families, we hope that the public will understand that this is a very difficult time for our family, too."
Jordan wouldn't take questions after giving the brief statement outside Pennsville's municipal building. He said the family is asking for privacy.
Ciancia is accused of shooting his way past an airport checkpoint with a .223-caliber rifle he pulled from a duffel bag.
He was wounded in a shootout with airport police. He faces charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport.
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Ciancia, who grew up in Pennsville, N.J., graduated from Salesianum School in 2008. The private Catholic all-boys high school, located in Wilmington, Del., held a prayer service earlier Monday for the victims of the shooting.
