The Hill News

The family of the alleged shooter of an Arizona congresswoman and more than a dozen others released a statement Tuesday.

The family of Jared Lee Loughner released a written statement to the press outside their house in Tuscon, Ariz., asking that the press respect their privacy. Loughner is the primary suspect in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) and 20 others.

"This is a very difficult time for us. We ask the media to respect our privacy," the statement, published online by The Washington Post, said. "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 Saturday. We care very deeply about the victims and their families. We are so very sorry for their loss. Thank you, the Loughner Family."

On Monday a judge ordered Loughner be held without bail. He faces five criminal charges, including attempted assignation, murder, and the murder of a federal official while that official was on duty.