The family of an 18-year-old man who was killed in a standoff with Toronto police on the weekend says they don’t hold "any ill will" against the police force.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Sammy Yatim’s family thanked Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair for reaching out to them, saying they appreciate everything he’s doing to “ensure that this matter is being investigated thoroughly and judiciously.”

"We want to be clear that we do not hold any ill will against the thousands of police officers who work to protect us each day. This is a tragedy for all involved," reads the statement.

Yatim’s family also thanked the public for supporting them through their time of grief.

"As you can imagine our lives have been turned upside down since the unimaginable events that occurred," the family said.

"We are heart-broken, confused and still in a state of shock. The outpouring of support that our family has received from Torontonians and the entire country has been tremendous."

Yatim was gunned down by police early Saturday morning while brandishing a knife on an empty streetcar. According to the Special Investigations Unit, the province’s police watchdog, Yatim had an "interaction" with police.

The incident was captured on surveillance and cellphone video.

Yatim can be seen pacing the stopped streetcar as shouts of "drop the knife" were directed at the teen.

Nine shots can be heard on the bystander video, the first three fired in succession followed by a pause before six more were fired.

The SIU says a Taser was also discharged.

The officer involved in the incident, Const. James Forcillo, has been suspended with pay.

Earlier on Tuesday, a family friend of the Yatims said he hopes police officers in the future will undergo “better training” to handle similar situations.

"(Yatim) was alone on the streetcar. This should be handled differently," Joseph Nazar told reporters outside the Yatim family home Tuesday.

Nazar made the comments as Yatim’s family planned the teen’s funeral, which is scheduled to take place Thursday morning.

A second protest is also being planned following a demonstration that drew hundreds of people to downtown Toronto Monday evening.

The Aug. 13 rally will coincide with a Toronto Police Services Board meeting.

According to Abby Deshman, director of public safety program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Monday’s protests likely wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the videos of the shooting.

"That kind of community outrage, I think, can be directly related to how closely people understand what happened," she told The Canadian Press.

"I think what video really does is provide a direct account of what happened that a person can see and really judge for themselves without having to primarily rely on the police officer's word about what was necessary.”

Meanwhile, Yatim’s family members, who immigrated to Canada from Syria, say they are "living a nightmare."

"The next few months will be very trying for us as our family adjusts to life without Sammy and wades through all the details and decisions that led to this senseless tragedy," they said in their statement.

Yatim was planning to attend college to study health management, friends say. He has been described as a polite teen with no history of mental illness. Friends said he was often shy dueto his developing English-language skills. 

Both of Yatim’s parents were away during the shooting. His father was on a business trip in the U.S. and his mother, who was visiting from Syria, was in Montreal, Nazar said.

Yatim’s sister was left to identify her brother’s body.

Yatim’s funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Highland Funeral Home, located at 3280 Sheppard Ave. E. Visitations will be held at the same location on Wednesday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

With files from CP24 and The Canadian Press