Hakim Rezgui says when he first heard news that his son had killed 38 tourists he could not comprehend it, and that he has no idea who had radicalised him

The father of the gunman who shot dead 38 unarmed tourists in the Tunisia beach attack has said he is ashamed and shocked at his son’s actions.

Speaking to ITV News soon after being released by police, Hakim Rezgui said his son had been spending time with new friends, but that he had no idea who was responsible for having warped his mind.

Seifeddine Rezgui, a 23-year-old student at Kairouan university, attacked tourists on the beach in the coastal city of Sousse. At least 30 Britons are understood to have died in the shooting.



Hakim Rezgui said that when he first heard the news he could not comprehend it and that he was sorry for all the lives that had been lost. “My god, I am so shocked,” he said. “I don’t know who has contacted him, influenced him or who has put these ideas in his head. He has new friends who got him into this.”

He added: “My son had no problem with anyone. But I don’t know who has changed his mind, influenced him and who has warped his mind. I wish there had been no victims, no one hurt. I wish it had never happened. Because when I see the victims I think it could have been my own family.

“I had no idea and I am really sorry. I am upset to see those victims. I feel the loss of the families so strongly. I feel like I have died along with the victims. I am so ashamed for me, for his mother, for all our family.”

Describing the attack as a catastrophe, Rezgui explained that he rarely saw his son, who spent all his time at university or at a coffee shop.

Adding that he had no idea of the plans Seifeddine was making, Rezgui said: “My son lost his life and he has lost our lives too. He has lost his life, his studies, his future and he’s ended our lives too.”

The gunman’s aunt, Zara Rezgui, said he was a “kind, calm, normal boy” who spent most of the time alone.

She said: “He was a blank page, he didn’t tell us anything about what he was planning. The first time we knew about it was when we saw it on the news.

“We are shocked. God bless him. God is punishing us. His mother and father brought him up to be a good boy, work hard and get a good job. He never spoke about his secret.”

Speaking to the Guardian on Saturday, neighbours of the family in the Hay Zuhour neighbourhood of the small town of Gaâfour in north Tunisia, said they were still coming to terms with the news.

Monia Riahi, a neighbour and friend of the family, described Rezgui as good. “I’ve known him since he was small. He was never in trouble with anyone ever. Maybe he was brainwashed or something.”