The family of suspected LAX gunman Paul Ciancia expressed sympathy to the family of a TSA officer killed in Friday's shooting and expressed love and support for their son and brother Monday, as their attorney issued their first public statement since the deadly rampage.
"We, like most Americans, were shocked and numbed by the tragic events of last Friday. We acknowledge the need to understand what happened and why it happened. To that end, we as the Ciancia family, have fully cooperated with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies over the last several days."
Ciancia, 23, who grew up in Pennsville, N.J., is accused of walking into the Los Angeles International airport with a semi-automatic and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and opening fire. 39-year-old Gerardo I. Hernandez died in the shooting.
"It is most important for us as a family to express our deep and sincere sympathy to the Hernandez family. By all accounts, Officer Hernandez was an exemplary member of the law enforcement community and a good family man. Our hearts go out to his family and many others who grieve his passing. We wish to convey too, our hopes that those who were wounded during this incident will experience quick and full recoveries," the family said in their statement, which was read outside the Pennsville Police Department by attorney John Jordan.
Six other people, including Ciancia, were injured in the shooting.
The family said they regretted the inconvenience to travel es as well as workers at the airport and asked that the public respect their privacy and give them time to heal.
"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. While we do not mean to minimize the grief and distress experienced by many other families, we hope that the public will understand that this is a very difficult time for our family too," the statement said.
Ciancia 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.
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NBC10 also obtained Ciancia's senior yearbook photo, pictured right.
On Friday, authorities say that 23-year-old Ciancia, who had been living in Los Angeles recently, walked into Terminal 3 around 9:30 a.m. Pacific time, pulled a rifle from a bag and began firing.
Authorities say Ciancia was armed with "hundreds of rounds" of ammunition.
Ciancia was shot four times by airport police and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
He's facing charges of murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport. The charges could qualify him for the death penalty.
