The mother of the alleged gunman in the Navy Yard shooting released a public statement on Wednesday in response to her son’s actions. Cathleen Alexis explained that she does not know why her son did what he did and that she is “so, so very sorry that this has happened.”

According to USA Today, she did not want to appear on camera and answer questions from the media, so a pastor, Bishop Gerald Seabrooks, read her statement to the crowd of reporters gathered outside of her Brooklyn apartment.

READ MORE: A Navy Worker's Eyewitness Account

She stated, “Our son Aaron Alexis has murdered 12 people and wounded several others…His actions have had a profound and everlasting effect on the families of the victims. I don’t know why he did what he did, and I’ll never be able to ask him, why. Aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone, and for that I am glad. To the families of the victims, I am so, so very sorry that this has happened. My heart is broken.”

Seabrooks told reporters that Alexis is grieving not only for the loss of her son but also for the victims of the shooting. He also asked media outlets that have been perched outside of the building since Monday, to give her and her neighbors some space.

Watch CNN's coverage including Cathleen Alexis reading her statement:

Alexis’ son, Aaron Alexis, is suspected of killing 12 people before being fatally shot by police in the Navy Yard shooting that took place on Monday morning in Washington D.C. He was 34 years old and according to a CBS report, believed to have been suffering from a plethora of serious mental problems including paranoia and a sleep disorder.

Read more of Neon Tommy’s coverage of the Navy Yard shooting.