Exclusive: Syria bomber was Florida-born, raised in middle-class family

By Zachary Fagenson SEBASTIAN Fla. (Reuters) - The man believed to be the first American suicide bomber in Syria was born in Florida and loved to play basketball. The family of Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, 22, on Saturday declined to comment or to open their door as a small group of reporters gathered outside their home in a gated community in Sebastian, on Florida's east coast. Neighbor Mark Hill, 46, said he knew little about the family across the street, who moved in around 2006 at the same time he did, but they seemed to be "very nice people, always pleasant." Hill described Abu-Salha as a "normal boy" who wore T-shirts and walked around the neighborhood with a basketball looking for someone to join him in a game. The family, who have owned a string of local Middle Eastern grocery stores, were a visible presence in the community and often left the garage doors open, Hill added.

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