Family devastated by son's mall rampage

A heartbroken and bewildered Suljo Talovic, father of 18-year-old gunman Sulejman Talovic, said he had no idea before the Trolley Square shootings that his son had weapons.

The father said he wants to find out who gave them to his son and who was behind the shootings.

Police say they have not been able to find a motive so far, and have seen no indication that the killings were based on race or religion.

In a series of four interviews, some by telephone and one at the family home in Salt Lake City's Fairpark neighborhood, the 42-year-old Talovic today apologized over and over about the events of Monday night.

The immigrant from Bosnia spoke broken but eloquent English.

"I am very sorry for everybody who has died," he said. "I apologize for everybody. I'm so sorry."

He said he never saw the young man with a gun and doesn't know where he got weapons.

"I need, I ask like, I need for my information: Who give him guns and bullets and everything?" he said.

The family on Wednesday arranged for their son's body to be picked up at a mortuary. It was to be sent to Bosnia for a funeral. The

father will fly back to bury him, and the family is in need of donations.

"I feel sorry for everybody. I have no heartbeat. I am crying for everybody, not only for my son. For everybody!" Suljo Talovic said.

He repeatedly insisted that he had never seen his son with a gun. He said he did not know where his son got the weapons and ammunition.

"I think somebody's behind him, somebody's trailing him," he said.

Asked to explain what that meant, his sister, Ajka Omerovic, said, "He wants to tell you that he thinks there is somebody who push him to do that." Does he have any idea who? "No, really, no. We want to find out, just like you guys, all other people," she said.

"He think that somebody like, I don't know, behind all of that, set up Sulejman." This person told him to shoot people, she said, relaying the father's feeling.

"He was good-minded boy," Omerovic said. "We don't think he can do it. Like we told you guys, we can't believe our eyes."

Everyone who knew his son said he was a nice guy, Suljo Talovic added. "He's got a good character. He's not changed, nothing. He's like working Monday night."