Charleston shooting: Family of Dylann Roof speak of 'horror' at massacre and admiration for 'forgiveness and love' of victims' families

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed this week,' the statement said

Dylann Roof appears via video before a judge in North Charleston, S.C, on Friday, June 19, 2015 (Centralized Bond Hearing Court, of Charleston, S.C. via AP, Pool)

The family of Dylann Roof, the defendant in the case of the nine murders in a Charleston church this week, issued a statement in which they spoke of their horror at the killings, and their admiration for the “forgiveness and love” voiced by relatives of those killed.

They offered their “deepest sympathies” to the victims’ families and expressed their devastation and disbelief at the shootings.

“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,” the statement said.

The murders are to be investigated by the US Justice Department as both a hate crime and act of domestic terror. Roof, the suspected terrorist, has been charged with nine counts of murder for the massacre at a historic black South Carolina church.

The family's statement went on: “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 [and] sympathy for all 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.”