The family of Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung Hui today told how they “never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence”.

A statement issued by Cho’s sister, Sun-Kyung Cho, on the family’s behalf described how they felt “hopeless, helpless and lost” in the aftermath of the massacre.

She said: “He has made the world weep. We are living a nightmare.”

The statement was the Chos’ first public comment since the 23-year-old student killed 32 people and committed suicide Monday in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history.

“Our family is so very sorry for my brother’s unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us,” said Sun-Kyung Cho, a 2004 Princeton University graduate who works as a contractor for a US State Department office that oversees American aid for Iraq.

“We pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured and for those whose lives are changed forever because of what they witnessed and experienced.

“Each of these people had so much love, talent and gifts to offer, and their lives were cut short by a horrible and senseless act.”

The family’s whereabouts are being kept secret with the authorities holding them under law enforcement protection.

“We are humbled by this darkness. We feel hopeless, helpless and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel like I didn’t know this person,” Cho’s sister said.

“We have always been a close, peaceful and loving family. My brother was quiet and reserved, yet struggled to fit in. We never could have envisioned that he was capable of so much violence.”

She said her family will cooperate fully with investigators and “do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well.”

The statement was issued during a state-wide day of mourning for the victims. Silence fell across the Virginia Tech campus at noon and bells tolled in churches nationwide in memory of the victims.

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