The man accused of taking nine hostages at the Workers' Compensation Board building in downtown Edmonton last week apologized for the incident in a telephone call to CTV News.
On Saturday, Patrick Clayton phoned CTV Edmonton's newsroom, saying he was sorry for his actions and pleading for the public's help with this case.
"I'm very sorry for what I did. It's not what I intended," Clayton said as he choked back tears.
"If you can, see if I can get people to...back me up and...show the numbers because if they don't show it I'm going to be a lost cause for doing what I did. Can you ask the public to do that for me...Please? I didn't hurt nobody. I treated them with the utmost respect and dignity."
Clayton left the message during what he described as his "half-hour walk around" Saturday morning at the Edmonton remand centre where he is being held in custody.
Clayton, 38, was arrested Wednesday evening after a tense, 10-hour stand-off during which nine WCB employees were held hostage.
Edmonton police say an armed man was seen loitering outside the office tower around 8:30 a.m. before he walked inside and fired a single shot into a cinder-block wall.
It is believed the gunman grabbed a pass card from an employee and used it to get onto an elevator, which he took to the eighth-floor offices.
About 700 people fled the building, and police negotiators worked to get the gunman to surrender. After 10 hours, he turned himself over to police.
Investigators say the suspect initially did not intend to leave the office building alive.
Clayton faces several criminal charges in connection with the incident, including pointing a firearm, careless use of a firearm and unlawful confinement.
During a court appearance on Friday, a tearful Clayton told the judge that he cannot afford a defence lawyer.
His case was put over to give him time to find a lawyer. Clayton will next appear in court on October 30.
