"They had little picnics in the backyard. The wife seemed happy," Mary Ann Galech, one of Shahzad's neighbors in Shelton, Connecticut, told ABC News on Wednesday.
As more information is determined about Shahzad, the biggest question that remains about him is — a man with no known history of violence or connection to militants: Why?
Shahzad lived here for 12 years, went to school, held steady jobs, bought and sold real estate, kept his immigration status in good order, obtained a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree and had a good job with a Connecticut financial marketing company.
He obtained citizenship through marriage to a Colorado woman – authorities say she and their two young children are still in Pakistan.
Financial and personal documents show Shahzad had expanding credit card limits, made timely mortgage payments on his $218,000 mortgage and even obtained a $65,000 home equity loan on his home.
Shahzad seemed to be earning a good living as a financial analyst for the Affinion Group, where he worked from 2006 to 2009.
Aside from the financial, there are ties to friends and family are also revealed in the documents found. According to a report in the , there were birthday cards wishing him "love" from friends who "really care" and others with hopes of hearing from him to let them know he was doing well.
Then, suddenly, things appeared to go wrong.
He suddenly quit his job and officials say he flew with his family to Karachi in July 2009.
With his departure, the house in Connecticut fell into foreclosure and when Shahzad returned to America two months ago, authorities say the life of promise was gone.
According to US officials, he purchased a used SUV, filled it with fertilizer, gasoline, and firecrackers, and drove it to Times Square before fleeing the scene.
FBI agents pulled Shahzad off a plane at New York's Kennedy Airport late Monday as it readied to take off for Dubai.
It is difficult to resolve the dismal portrait of Shahzad by authorities with the accounts of those who knew him. Shahzad’s neighbors described him as a pleasant family man who enjoyed taking care of his yard and playing with his two daughters.
Officials canceled Shahzad’s scheduled appearance in Manhattan federal court due to his conversations with agents. Attorney General Eric Holder has told reporters that Shahzad had been provided “useful information” to federal investigators, including that he had received training in Pakistan, but acted alone, a claim that is still being investigated.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned against any backlash against Pakistanis or Muslims in New York. “We will not tolerate any bias,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.
