The family of the accused Arizona gunman has apologised to the relatives of the victims who were gunned down, saying "we are so very sorry for their loss".
"This is a very difficult time for us. We ask the media to respect our privacy," Jared Loughner's family said on Tuesday in their first statement since Saturday's shooting in Tucson which killed six and wounded 14, including a US congresswoman.
"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," Loughner's family said.
"It may not make any difference, but we wish we could change the heinous events of Saturday.
"We care deeply about the victims and their families, and we are so very sorry for their loss."
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Prosecutors allege Loughner attempted to assassinate congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, shooting her in the head from point-blank range as she met constituents on Saturday at a routine meet-and-greet outside a supermarket.
Giffords and 13 others were wounded, but six people, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge, were shot dead as the gunman sprayed bullets from a semi-automatic Glock pistol.
Giffords can now breathe unaided, doctors announced on Tuesday.
Surgeons gave an upbeat outlook for Representative Gabrielle Giffords' condition, as President Barack Obama prepared to travel to Arizona and a harrowing account emerged about the youngest victim in Saturday's shooting spree.
"She's holding her own," said Michael Lemole, the head neurosurgeon who operated on Giffords, adding that she was still responding to simple commands, a key sign for her recovery prospects.
"I'm very encouraged by the fact that she's done so well," he said.
Peter Rhee, head of trauma surgery at University Medical Center, said doctors had reduced the sedatives administered to the Democratic lawmaker, adding: "She will not die. She does not have that permission from me."
Rhee added that the resources of the entire US military had been offered to help care for the victims, including Giffords whose husband Mark Kelly is a US Navy captain and astronaut.
Two top military neurosurgeons, Geoffrey Ling and James Ecklund, flew to Tucson on Monday, and praised the level of care given to the 14 people injured in the shooting. from me."
