Trail From London to Leeds Yields Portraits of 3 Bombers

"Something made these kids go beyond," Alkatib said. "They are sons of this country, born and raised here. Certainly, there's a lot of injustice everywhere. But what could have made them do this? We don't know. We can only speculate."

Alkatib spoke during an interview at the Hamara Healthy Living Center, an old stone Anglican church that has been converted into a community center that serves Beeston's predominantly Muslim population. The center is two blocks from Tanweer's home and is the focal point of the neighborhood.

Hanif Malik, the center's director, said there was no sign that religious extremism had taken root in Beeston. "As a lifelong resident of Leeds, I can honestly say that I've never come across any radical elements whatsoever," he said on Wednesday after several religious leaders of different faiths held an emergency meeting at Hamara.

The next day, police cordoned off much of the neighborhood to look for explosives. Among the half-dozen properties designated for searches was a nearby property operated by the Hamara center that is used for youth activities. Police did not say if they found anything, and residents said it was unclear why the police were interested in the youth center.

A half-mile away in Beeston is the family home of Hussain, a three-story row house where residents said he had lived since birth with his parents, older brother and two sisters. On Thursday, the home was encased in scaffolding and white plastic sheeting as investigators combed through the property for clues.

Neighbors said the family guarded its privacy. They recalled Hussain as a chubby-cheeked youngster with a reputation for having a hot temper and getting into fights at school.

"He used to come in here for sweets and pop when he was a schoolboy," Ajimal Singh, the owner of a corner store, told the Times of London. "He is from a very good local family. He has a brother who is a very nice man."

Hussain left high school at age 16 and grew progressively more religious after that, acquaintances said. He filled out his chubby cheeks with a thick beard and dressed as an observant Muslim. Like Tanweer, he made at least one extended trip to Pakistan in the last two years, British media reported.

He also shared Tanweer's love of cricket and often played in the same matches, according to friends, who said he did not have a job.

Last week, he told his parents he was going to London to attend a religious event, neighbors said. Instead, he boarded a double-decker bus and detonated a bomb, killing 13 people, police said. They said his driver's license and bank cards were found in the wreckage. Twelve hours later, his family reported him missing, fearing he had been hurt in the terrorist attacks, police said.