Father of alleged school shooter 'scared for his son'

Jeff Williams said he was confused by his son's actions

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- The father of the student accused of killing two and wounding 13 at his San Diego-area high school spoke publicly for the first time since the incident, expressing his sympathy and sorrow for the victims.

"Mere words cannot express the remorse I feel for the families," Jeff Williams tearfully said Friday. "My heart goes out to the people involved."

Charles "Andy" Williams, 15, faces 28 charges, including two counts of murder with special circumstances and 13 counts of attempted and premeditated murder in connection with the March 5 shooting at Santana High School.

VIDEO Students who violate gun rules in Los Angeles will serve part of their punishment in the county morgue. Correspondent Bill Smith has more Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    DOCUMENT Search Warrant in People v. Charles Andrew Williams (FindLaw) Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.    GALLERY Images of the aftermath of the Santana High School shooting in Santee, California    RESOURCES Diagram of the Santana High School shooting scene List of Santana victims Timeline of recent school shootings Risk factors for school violence Talking about school violence

At a news conference surrounded by family members and the public defenders who are representing his son, Jeff Williams' voice broke as he thanked people for their support.

"I appreciate all the care and support of those that have expressed their sympathetic feelings towards me, Andy and the rest of our family," he said.

Jeff Williams, 41, described himself as a single father who raised Andy since birth. He said he is confused about what happened at the high school and is scared for his son.

"I will do whatever is necessary to continue to support my son and the find the answers we all are in desperate need of," he said.

"I would like to express my sympathy and sorrow to all those affected," he said. "Mere words cannot express the remorse I feel for the families."

Andy's aunt, Cindy Weber, said the family is grateful that law enforcement officers arrived quickly at the school to prevent more bloodshed.

"We're heartbroken by this event and we do not wish to offer any excuses," she said tearfully. "However, we love our brother Jeff and Andy, and we want to give them our full support. We hope from this catastrophe, our society can find greater understanding and discover the root problem that drives children to commit these desperate acts."

Prosecutors have said they will try Andy Williams as an adult. He is being held in a juvenile detention facility. But at the news conference, his lawyers said they will file a challenge, called a demur, to have him tried in juvenile court at his March 26 arraignment.

Cindy Weber, Williams' aunt, expressed the family's anguish

Prosecutors used a state statute, Proposition 21, to charge Williams as an adult because of the nature of the alleged crimes committed. Williams' lawyers said they will challenge the statute as cruel and unusual punishment.

Deputy Public Defender Randy Mize said the adult criminal justice system provides no rehabilitation for a young offender.

If Williams is convicted on all of the charges as an adult, he could be sentenced to 500 years to life in prison. Under the juvenile system, he would be in a juvenile facility at least until age 25, with a prosecutorial option to demand that he serve more time.

Williams and his son recently moved to Santee, California.

"Andy" Williams had complained that the people in Santee were different than those of his previous home in Twentynine Palms, California.

His friends at his new school said he was often picked on and bullied by other students.

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San Diego County Sheriff's Office
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