Killer's family 'deeply sorry'
2007-04-21 08:55
Blacksburg, Virginia - The family of the United States campus shooter said on Friday that they were "deeply sorry" for the massacre and that they never could have imagined that the South Korean student "was capable of so much violence".
Cho Seung-Hui's sister, Cho Sun-Kyung, said in a statement that the family felt "hopeless, helpless and lost".
It is the family's first comment since her 23-year-old brother killed 32 people and then himself at Virginia Tech University on Monday.
"On behalf of our family, we are so deeply sorry for the devastation my brother has caused," said Cho Sun-Kyung, who worked as a contractor at the US state department.
Listing the names of those killed, she said, "we pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief".
"And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced," she said.
"Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act."
The statement was released by a lawyer representing the family. US media reports the family is under police protection.
"We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence," she said.
On Monday, Cho Seung-Hui killed two people in a dormitory and, more than two hours later, stormed another building and shot into classrooms before turning his gun on himself, leaving 33 dead.
Cho Sun-Kyung said her family would co-operate with American law enforcement "to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well".