The Tucson shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner's family has released a one-paragraph statement Tuesday in their first public response to the incident, apologizing to the families of the shooting victims.

The statement reads: "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. The Loughner family."

The statement was issued by aids to the suspect's public defender Judy Clarke.

Loughner, 22, was charged with five federal crimes: the murders of U.S. District Judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, and the attempted murders of Giffords and two other congressional staffers at a gathering outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona Saturday.

Loughner could receive up to life in prison if convicted of shooting Giffords, and up to 20 years in convicted in the shootings of two other congressional aides.

Loughner also is expected to face a series of charges in state courts.

U.S. District Judge John Roll and Gabe Zimmerman, a Giffords aide, were among the victims killed in the shooting which was presumably targeted Giffords.

Giffords, 40, was shot in the head and underwent surgery. She remains in critical condition and it was unknown whether she will be able to return to Congress.

The motive for the killing remains unknown. Loughner has refused to cooperate with investigators, authorities said.