This is what the parents of the Raleigh mass shooting suspect said

() — The parents of a 15-year-old suspected of killing five people in North Carolina last week say they are devastated by the loss of innocent life.

“Words cannot describe our anguish and pain,” Alan and Elise Thompson said in a statement through their attorneys, which was obtained by affiliate WTVD.

“Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overwhelmed with grief at the innocent lives lost,” the parents said.

“We pray for the families and loved ones of Nicole Conners, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres. We mourn their loss and the loss of our son, James,” the statement continues.

“We pray that Marcille ‘Lynn’ Gardner and Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark make a full recovery from their injuries, and we pray for all who were traumatized by these senseless acts of violence.”

Austin Thompson remains hospitalized in critical condition. The teen has not been formally charged, but Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said her office intends to charge the suspect as an adult.

Like many others, her parents say they don’t understand why the massive tragedy happened.

“We have so many unanswered questions,” the Thompsons’ statement says.

“There were never any indications or warning signs that Austin was capable of doing something like that.”

Grieving people gather at Beacon Baptist Church for a vigil Saturday after five people were shot to death in Raleigh.

The parents said they will continue to cooperate with law enforcement “and do everything we can to help them understand why and how this happened.”

According to the non-profit organization Gun Violence ArchiveThere have been at least 546 mass shootings in the United States this year. That’s an average of more than 1.8 mass shootings each day.

Both the Gun Violence Archive and define a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, not counting the shooter.

‘s Holly Yan contributed to this report.