Jared Lee Loughner

The family of Jared Lee Loughner issued a statement today, deeply apologizing for the event though maintaining that they remained surprised by their son's actions:

There are no words that could possibly express how we feel. We don’t understand why this happened… this is a very difficult time for us. We ask the media to respect our privacy. We care very deeply about the victims and their families.

Loughner is accused of killing six people and injuring 14 others in an attack Saturday at a public event. Among the wounded was Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the believed target of the shooting.

Pieces of Laughner's life before the shooting have begun to surface, depicting a troubled individual who was increasingly paranoid.

"He thought we were plotting to kill him or steal his car or something," said Zane Gutierrez in an interview with the New York Times.  Gutierrez was the alleged shooter's high school friend, though they became distant as Loughner's behavior grew more erratic.

Friends say that his interest in politics was casual--embracing a cynical and nihilist attitude instead. He was, however, an avid gun user, and enjoyed shooting cans in the desert.

"He was a damn great shot...[and] was quick with a gun," Gutierrez said.

Giffords has been hospitalized since Saturday and remains in critical condition, though doctors remain optimistic about a recovery.

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