Phoenix Mosque President Describes Texas Gunman as "Nice Guy."
BLITZER: Returning now to our top story, the investigation into a shooting in Texas. Joining us now, Usama Shami, the president of the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks for much for joining us. You knew one of the suspects, Elton Simpson. Tell us what you know about him.</s>USAMA SHAMI, PRESIDENT, ISLAMIC COMMUNITY CENTER, PHOENIX (voice- over): I first met him about ten years ago. He attended our mosque regularly. Until the incident that happened in 2010, 2011, which he was arrested by the FBI. Then after that, he became less frequent to the mosque.</s>BLITZER: And I believe you knew him as Ibrahim.</s>SHAMI: Yes, everybody knows him in the community as Ibrahim.</s>BLITZER: And he was a convert, based on what you know?</s>SHAMI: Yeah. When I first met him, he was a Muslim. So I'm assuming sometime before 10 years he became a convert.</s>BLITZER: We know he was 30 years old. What about the second suspect, his roommate? Did you know him?</s>SHAMI: I don't know his name. I didn't see his name in the newspaper, so I don't know who that person is.</s>BLITZER: So you're not -- once you hear the name, you might be able to know who he is. We'll follow up with you on that. Did he ever give you indications, Elton Simpson, that he was sympathetic supporter of any of these, let's say, ISIS or al Qaeda or any kind of terror group?</s>SHAMI: No, he was a gentle person. He always had a good attitude, a good demeanor. I was surprised to hear that he was attempting to do this because he always was interested in playing basketball. He was always nice with other people. It's totally out of character for the person that I knew. But again, like I said, since 2011, he hasn't been coming to the mosque regularly. The last time I saw him a few months ago, he looked the same. He didn't say anything that would indicate any of this. And even when he attended the mosque regularly, he was not somebody that had any extreme views.</s>BLITZER: So you're surprised when you read these reports that just before this attack in Garland, Texas, outside of Dallas, he tweeted, quote, "May Allah accept us," and used the #Texasattack. It was as if he was advertising what he was planning on doing.</s>SHAMI: Yeah, and like I said, this is very surprising to everybody. Everybody that knew him. Like I said, they wouldn't have expected anything like that from him. A lot of times when you read things like that, you question yourself if you have known that person very well. But in this case, this is what everybody's feeling because there was no -- any indication this was happening. Even the case against him in 2011, we know that an FBI informant was involved in this. A lot of times you would think that maybe there was some kind of entrapment or something. Nobody in the community really thought that this would happen from somebody like him.</s>BLITZER: So it's fair to say, Usama, that in your community, especially at the Islamic community center of Phoenix, people are in the shock right now?</s>SHAMI: Everybody that I talked to is in shock. Everybody can't believe this has happened with this person. Like I said, there was no indication that he carried any of these views. So between 2011 until now, I don't know what happened, what radicalized his thoughts. It's a mystery to me.</s>BLITZER: We're almost out of time, but I assume FBI personnel are now questioning people at the mosque.</s>SHAMI: We have not been contacted by any of the authorities. I haven't. I haven't received any calls in the mosque from the FBI. So we'll wait and see. But we always had an open relationship with the FBI. They're always welcome to the mosque. We always contacted them and talked to them. So if they have any questions, they know who to call.</s>BLITZER: It's a really sad story all around. You don't know anything about whether his family life, if he had relatives in Phoenix or elsewhere, what he did for a living?</s>SHAMI: I don't know what he did for a living. I know that he does have a family, parents, here. He has a father and mother in Phoenix. But I don't know. I know that he used to work in different businesses but, lately, I have no idea what he was doing.</s>BLITZER: Usama Shami is the president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. Shami, good luck over there and thanks so much for joining us.</s>SHAMI: Thank you. Thanks, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: That's it for me this hour. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room." For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is next. For our viewers in North American, "Newsroom" with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.