OMAHA, Neb. -- The mother of the Westroads Mall shooter said she knew something was wrong when she had dinner with her son the night before he went on a shooting rampage.

In an interview Thursday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America," Robert Hawkins' mother, Maribel "Molly" Rodriguez, said she's been thinking about those who died.

Hawkins, 19, killed himself after shooting eight people inside a Von Maur store on Dec. 5. Rodriguez said she is facing the horror left by the actions of her son, and dealing with losing her child.

"My son took the lives of eight people and killed himself. My most beloved baby boy did that.

"I was dead, too," she said in comments shared with Omaha television station KETV on Wednesday. "I am thinking now that my life is over. There is nothing I can do anymore. What is done is done."

Rodriguez also told ABC News that people need to know she's sorry.

"Please forgive me and please forgive my little Robert," she said.

Hawkins ate dinner with his mother the night before at her ex-husband's house. Rodriguez said her son talked about being fired from McDonald's, and that after dinner he went online to fill out a job application at a nearby nursing home.

She said Hawkins gave her and his sisters hugs and kisses goodbye. She now says she thinks Hawkins knew what he was about to do to the next day. She said she sensed something wasn't quite right, so she checked his stepfather's gun closet and she thought one of the guns was missing.

Rodriguez said she thought Hawkins had taken the gun to sell or pawn. She said she never thought he would have used it to do what he did.

On Wednesday, Hawkins sent his ex-girlfriend a text message, in essence apologizing for breaking up with her. He also left his mother a voice mail that said: "Mommy, I love you. I'm sorry. I will talk to you later."

After receiving that message, Rodriguez went to the home where Hawkins was living. The son of the woman Hawkins was staying with found his suicide letters.

Rodriguez took the notes to the Sarpy County Sheriff's Department in the hour before the shooting. She said she found out about the scene at Westroads Mall through a friend's phone call.

She said she felt better when police showed her the photo of an initial suspect who was not her son.

Then, at about 4 p.m. last Wednesday, Rodriguez found out that the gunman was dead and he fit her son's description. She found out it was her son three hours later.

"I know why they would hate Robert, but for their sake, don't harbor the hate," Rodriguez said to victims' families.

She said she doesn't know why her son chose Westroads.

Hawkins has been memorialized and buried, ABC News reported.