The family of Dylann Roof, who confessed to shooting nine people at a historical black church in Charleston this week, issued a statement on Friday offering condolences for the victims’ families and asking for privacy for their own.

Here is the full text of the statement:

“The Roof Family would like to extend their deepest sympathies and condolences to families of the victims in Wednesday night’s shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Words cannot express our shock, grief, and disbelief as to what happened that night. We are devastated and saddened by what occurred. We offer our prayers sympathy for all of those impacted by these events.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed this week. We have all been touched by the moving words from the victims’ families offering God’s forgiveness and love in the face of such horrible suffering.

Our hope and prayer is for peace and healing for the families of the victims, the Charleston community, and those touched by these events throughout the state of South Carolina and our nation.

As you can imagine, words are hard to find and we would ask that the media respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

The statement also refers any questions regarding Dylann to Boyd Young, who is listed as his attorney in the statement.

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Photographed in 2003, Zahi Hawass, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, worked with the Michael C. Carlos Museum to return the mummy believed to be Ramesses I to Egypt after it was exhibited at Emory. (AJC staff)

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