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| Tunisian Gunman Showed Subtle Signs of Radicalization | Tunisian Gunman Showed Subtle Signs of Radicalization |
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| GAAFOUR, Tunisia — The Tunisian student who shot 39 tourists at a seaside hotel on Friday was a silent loner who showed signs of radicalism in the past year but hid his real intentions, according to relatives, neighbors and the student’s Facebook page. | GAAFOUR, Tunisia — The Tunisian student who shot 39 tourists at a seaside hotel on Friday was a silent loner who showed signs of radicalism in the past year but hid his real intentions, according to relatives, neighbors and the student’s Facebook page. |
| The student, Seifeddine Rezgui, was 24, his family said, correcting earlier reports that he was younger. Relatives said he had appeared to be completely normal when he came home Thursday night to his father’s house in Gaafour, a small farming town. And when he left on Friday morning, he said he was going to pray at the mosque. | The student, Seifeddine Rezgui, was 24, his family said, correcting earlier reports that he was younger. Relatives said he had appeared to be completely normal when he came home Thursday night to his father’s house in Gaafour, a small farming town. And when he left on Friday morning, he said he was going to pray at the mosque. |
| “We don’t know how this happened,” said his grandfather, Mohammad Ben Sghaier, 86, as he sat leaning on a walking stick outside the house on Sunday, greeting mourners as they came to pay respects. “All of my children tried to be like me and my ancestors,” Mr. Ben Sghaier said. “We were raised to respect each other and to respect ethics.” | “We don’t know how this happened,” said his grandfather, Mohammad Ben Sghaier, 86, as he sat leaning on a walking stick outside the house on Sunday, greeting mourners as they came to pay respects. “All of my children tried to be like me and my ancestors,” Mr. Ben Sghaier said. “We were raised to respect each other and to respect ethics.” |
| Mr. Rezgui’s father, Hakim Rezgui, arrived home at that moment. A laborer of compact build, he stumbled in distress as a neighbor embraced him. Mr. Rezgui, his wife and teenage daughter had just gone through 48 hours of questioning by the police. “My son lost his life, his studies and his future, and made us lose ours as well,” the father said, close to tears and raising his hands to his head in dismay. “I wish he had not done this to us.” | Mr. Rezgui’s father, Hakim Rezgui, arrived home at that moment. A laborer of compact build, he stumbled in distress as a neighbor embraced him. Mr. Rezgui, his wife and teenage daughter had just gone through 48 hours of questioning by the police. “My son lost his life, his studies and his future, and made us lose ours as well,” the father said, close to tears and raising his hands to his head in dismay. “I wish he had not done this to us.” |
| He said he had no idea what had led his son to attack the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, on the seacoast two hours away. “I have no idea who his friends are,” he said. “We don’t know who put this into his head. They noticed he was one of the best students and they dragged him into this. I have no idea who. | He said he had no idea what had led his son to attack the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, on the seacoast two hours away. “I have no idea who his friends are,” he said. “We don’t know who put this into his head. They noticed he was one of the best students and they dragged him into this. I have no idea who. |
| “Everyone knows him, he always kept away from trouble.” | “Everyone knows him, he always kept away from trouble.” |
| Relatives and neighbors who gathered at the small whitewashed house insisted that the younger Mr. Rezgui, who was shot and killed by a policeman, had been a regular guy who played soccer when he was home from college. They said he hung out at the town cafe and would greet people in the street. | |
| “We are surprised, stupefied even,” said Rachid, a primary schoolteacher who said Mr. Rezgui had been a pupil at his school. Like many neighbors, Rachid asked that his surname not be published because of the intense police interest in Mr. Rezgui’s case and out of respect for his family. | “We are surprised, stupefied even,” said Rachid, a primary schoolteacher who said Mr. Rezgui had been a pupil at his school. Like many neighbors, Rachid asked that his surname not be published because of the intense police interest in Mr. Rezgui’s case and out of respect for his family. |
| Neighbors said the family was poor — Mr. Rezgui’s grandfather was a farm laborer, his father works for the railways and his mother bakes and sells bread. One neighbor, Samira Manai, said that one of Mr. Rezgui’s three siblings, a younger brother, was killed by a lightning strike six years ago, and the youngest, a boy of 5, is autistic. | Neighbors said the family was poor — Mr. Rezgui’s grandfather was a farm laborer, his father works for the railways and his mother bakes and sells bread. One neighbor, Samira Manai, said that one of Mr. Rezgui’s three siblings, a younger brother, was killed by a lightning strike six years ago, and the youngest, a boy of 5, is autistic. |
| Still, Mr. Rezgui appeared to be making a success of his life. He went away to college in the medieval town of Kairouan, graduated with a technical degree and then enrolled in a master’s program there. He rented an apartment with several other students, and returned to his family’s house during vacations. | Still, Mr. Rezgui appeared to be making a success of his life. He went away to college in the medieval town of Kairouan, graduated with a technical degree and then enrolled in a master’s program there. He rented an apartment with several other students, and returned to his family’s house during vacations. |
| Several neighbors said that as a youth, Mr. Rezgui belonged to a group of break-dancers in Gaafour, but that he turned his attention to religion while at college. “He used to break dance, maybe five or six years ago,” said Kamel Jebali, 39. “He has not been praying for very long, maybe two years.” Mr. Jebali said Mr. Rezgui had not adopted the dress or habits of a fundamentalist. | Several neighbors said that as a youth, Mr. Rezgui belonged to a group of break-dancers in Gaafour, but that he turned his attention to religion while at college. “He used to break dance, maybe five or six years ago,” said Kamel Jebali, 39. “He has not been praying for very long, maybe two years.” Mr. Jebali said Mr. Rezgui had not adopted the dress or habits of a fundamentalist. |
| Yet Mr. Rezgui’s Facebook page revealed extremist leanings. His profile photos included the logo of his favorite soccer team, Club Africain, but also the black banner of the Islamic State, which he made his cover photo in June 2014. The Facebook page was taken down on Saturday. | Yet Mr. Rezgui’s Facebook page revealed extremist leanings. His profile photos included the logo of his favorite soccer team, Club Africain, but also the black banner of the Islamic State, which he made his cover photo in June 2014. The Facebook page was taken down on Saturday. |
| His last post, on Dec. 31, 2014, was a rant against New Year’s Eve, saying it was a festival for nonbelievers that Muslims should not celebrate, according to Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, coordinator of the American Corner cultural center in Tunis, who viewed the page before it was taken down. He said it was surprising that Mr. Rezgui had posted openly and publicly about his support for the Islamic State and had gone unnoticed. | His last post, on Dec. 31, 2014, was a rant against New Year’s Eve, saying it was a festival for nonbelievers that Muslims should not celebrate, according to Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, coordinator of the American Corner cultural center in Tunis, who viewed the page before it was taken down. He said it was surprising that Mr. Rezgui had posted openly and publicly about his support for the Islamic State and had gone unnoticed. |
| Neighbors and friends said that Mr. Rezgui was changed by his time at college in Kairouan, or by people he met there. The town is crowded with religious shrines and mosques, and became the center of an extreme Salafist movement, Ansar al Sharia, after the Arab Spring revolution of 2011. | Neighbors and friends said that Mr. Rezgui was changed by his time at college in Kairouan, or by people he met there. The town is crowded with religious shrines and mosques, and became the center of an extreme Salafist movement, Ansar al Sharia, after the Arab Spring revolution of 2011. |
| Ansar al Sharia has since been outlawed, and many of its members have been arrested or have fled abroad, but the Tunisian authorities continue to uncover networks of radical Islamists in the country. | Ansar al Sharia has since been outlawed, and many of its members have been arrested or have fled abroad, but the Tunisian authorities continue to uncover networks of radical Islamists in the country. |
| “I think if he had stayed here, he would have been O.K.,” Mr. Jebali said. | “I think if he had stayed here, he would have been O.K.,” Mr. Jebali said. |
| But Rachid, the primary schoolteacher, suggested that Mr. Rezgui’s troubles may have run deeper. Before he went away, when he was still in the break-dancing group, “he was very kind, respectful,” like his family, Rachid said. But more recently, “the most important thing is that he is always alone, even in the cafe. He has abnormal behavior. This is interior behavior. So maybe it was his social background, his social problems in the family and in this group.” | But Rachid, the primary schoolteacher, suggested that Mr. Rezgui’s troubles may have run deeper. Before he went away, when he was still in the break-dancing group, “he was very kind, respectful,” like his family, Rachid said. But more recently, “the most important thing is that he is always alone, even in the cafe. He has abnormal behavior. This is interior behavior. So maybe it was his social background, his social problems in the family and in this group.” |
| In Gargabia, the old working-class neighborhood of Kairouan where Mr. Rezgui lived while at college, residents and shopkeepers recalled him as a quiet man who kept to himself, but who was not noticeably an extremist. | In Gargabia, the old working-class neighborhood of Kairouan where Mr. Rezgui lived while at college, residents and shopkeepers recalled him as a quiet man who kept to himself, but who was not noticeably an extremist. |
| Workers in the bakery next door to his apartment building said Mr. Rezgui would stop by to buy bread. “We recognized him when we saw his picture on television,” one of the workers said. Referring to published photos showing the hotel attacker carrying a rifle after the massacre, another worker blurted out, “I saw him walking on the beach, he looked like a movie star.” | Workers in the bakery next door to his apartment building said Mr. Rezgui would stop by to buy bread. “We recognized him when we saw his picture on television,” one of the workers said. Referring to published photos showing the hotel attacker carrying a rifle after the massacre, another worker blurted out, “I saw him walking on the beach, he looked like a movie star.” |
| Walid, who has worked at the bakery for 10 years, said Mr. Rezgui had lived in the neighborhood with other students for about a year. “I was shocked when I saw it was him,” he said. “He never said much, but he never did anything wrong. If he had, the police would have caught up with him. None of them did anything wrong.” | Walid, who has worked at the bakery for 10 years, said Mr. Rezgui had lived in the neighborhood with other students for about a year. “I was shocked when I saw it was him,” he said. “He never said much, but he never did anything wrong. If he had, the police would have caught up with him. None of them did anything wrong.” |