Washington: Expressing shock at Arizona shootings, parents of Jared Lee Loughner, the detained suspect, have said that they still did not understand what led their son to carry out such an act that left Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition and six others dead.
Two unidentified representatives for Randy and Amy Loughner reportedly handed out a statement to reporters gathered in the parent’s driveway that expresses sympathy to the victims of the violence that has upended the country’s political debate and could send their 22-year old son to death row.
“This is a very difficult time for us. We ask the media to respect our privacy. There are no words that can possibly express how we feel. We wish that there were so we could make you feel better. We don’t understand why this happened. It may not make any difference, but we wish that we could change the heinous events of Saturday. We care very deeply about the victims and their families. We are so very sorry for their loss. Thank you,” Politico quoted the statement, as saying.
According to one of their neighbours, the grief-stricken parents were having trouble coping with the news.
Earlier, evidence seized from the house of Jared Lee Loughner, the primary suspect in connection with the deadly shooting in Tucson in the United States, had revealed that he had planned to ‘assassinate’ Giffords.
Giffords, who represents Arizona’s Eighth District in the south-eastern corner of the state, has been an outspoken critic of Arizona’s tough immigration law, which is focused on identifying, prosecuting and deporting illegal immigrants. She had come under criticism for her vote in favour of the Democrats’ health care law.