( CNN ) The mother of the man who killed two New York police officers has spoken out , apologizing for the horror her son Ismaaiyl Brinsley caused before taking his own life . `` Ismaaiyl was a very troubled young man whose life was in turmoil and spiraling out of control , '' Shakuwra Dabre said in a statement to CNN affiliate WABC . `` We were estranged for a few years , with occasional contact . I am deeply sorry for the loss of the two innocent men who were killed , and offer my sincerest condolences to their families . '' In an interview with the New York Daily News , Dabre said she was `` horrified '' when she found out what her son had done . `` And please accept my deepest condolences , sincerely . As a mother now I hurt for the loss of my son . Just like they 're hurting for the loss of their sons , '' she said . The families of police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos are `` suffering unspeakable pain , '' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday . The two men were shot and killed in their car while on duty . `` Our first obligation is to stand by them in every way we can . And I call upon everyone to focus on these families in these next days . '' Lucy Ramos , aunt of Rafael Ramos , thanked `` all those who have shared their sympathy and support . '' Speaking Sunday night , she said her nephew `` will always be loved and missed by many . I hope and pray that we can reflect on this tragic loss of lives that have occurred so that we can move forward and find an amicable path to a peaceful co-existence . '' Outside Liu 's home Monday evening , his widow thanked members of the community for their support and sent condolences to the Ramos family . `` This is a difficult time for both of our families , '' Pei Xia Chen said , `` but we will stand together and get through this together . '' The two had just been married in September . Brinsley had a long rap sheet and struggled with mental illness . In a 2011 hearing in Cobb County , Georgia , he pleaded guilty to theft , property damage , possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a gun near a public street after he used a stolen .25-caliber handgun to fire into a gold Chevy Malibu . When asked by a judge at the hearing whether he 'd ever been a patient in a mental institution or under the care of a psychologist or psychiatrist , he answered yes , according to court documents . He had an extensive criminal record , including at least 19 arrests , a two-year prison term and several stints in Georgia jails , said New York Police Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce . Brinsley comes from a Muslim family . Relatives said he `` has never expressed any radicalization , '' Boyce said . Brinsley 's aunt and sister told CNN affiliate WCBS that the family struggled to understand why he was set free after so many run-ins with the law . `` They kept releasing him into the streets , '' Jalaa ' a Brinsley said , `` so is n't that a problem that the justice system should be asking , not us ? '' Authorities are investigating how Brinsley got the gun he used in the attack . A man purchased the handgun at a Georgia pawn shop in 1996 , when Brinsley was 9 . Investigators said Brinsley 's mother described her son as `` very often violent , '' following `` a very troubled childhood . '' He had tried to commit suicide , she told them , according to Boyce .
Police officer 's mother : ' I am deeply sorry ' Her son was ' completely out of control , ' she told a CNN reporter . The family vows to stand by officers ' families in ` ` unspeakable pain '' Investigators probe how he got the gun he used .