MAITLAND, Fla. -- The family of a man fatally shot in a confrontation with federal air marshals at Miami International Airport said in a brief prepared statement Thursday that he was a gentle man.

The statement read by Jeanne Jentsch, the sister of Rigoberto Alpizar's wife, said Alpizar was a "loving, gentle and caring husband, uncle, son and friend."

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The statement said Alpizar was born in Costa Rica and became an American citizen several years ago.

The statement added that he will be sorely missed by those who knew him.

The family then asked all the media to leave the area around the house in Maitland, which is six miles northeast of Orlando.

Alpizar was shot to death by a federal air marshal Wednesday after he allegedly said he had a bomb.

Shortly after boarding an American Airlines plane Wednesday, passengers on the Orlando-bound flight from Miami said they saw a man, later identified as Alpizar, bolt from his seat and run down the aisle with his screaming wife and a man in a Hawaiian shirt behind him. One passenger said his wife was screaming, "My husband! My husband!"

The chase ended moments later on the jetway, when authorities say he appeared to reach for his bag. The man in the Hawaiian shirt and another pursuer, both undercover air marshals, fired their guns.

Federal authorities say Alpizar ran off the plane and uttered threatening words that mentioned him having a bomb. No bomb was found.

Alpizar's family said he suffered from bipolar disorder and had not taken his medication.

An autopsy was being conducted on Alpizar's body. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office said results will not be made public until later.