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In recent months, Mr. Esseghaier spent a lot of time traveling abroad, his colleague said. When in the lab, he would pray in various places, including the cafeteria.

“When I saw the news, I got a shock, I was speechless,” the colleague said.

“He was very very strict about his behaviour,” the colleague said. “He was very religously strict.”

The colleague said he did not think Mr. Esseghaier is married, but did not know for sure.

According to his Toronto neighbours, Mr. Jaser lives with his wife in the back half of a a semi-detached brick house in northern Toronto.

‘‘We moved here last year and they already lived here. They’re renting next door,’’ said Mr. Chaudhary. In all that time, he never spoke to him.

Neighbours say he wore the flowing gown of Muslim attire and his wife wore a full-face covering burqa.

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Last summer, five or six young men lived in the house with the couple for a few months, he said. The men, all of whom dressed in traditional Muslim garb, seemed obsessed with weightlifting and fitness. They worked out daily with barbells, and ate together in the backyard like family.

‘‘You just don’t know who you’re living next to. It’s a really nice peaceful neighbourhood,’’ said Mr. Chaudhary.

Another neighbour said an RCMP van and police cars arrived at the scene early Monday afternoon. “It’s very scary, honestly it’s surreal. I’ve lived here my whole life and to hear this, especially after what happened in Boston,’’ said Melina Hughes, 27, who lives three doors down.

She locked the doors and didn’t go outside until her husband came home. When they asked police officers guarding the scene what was going on, they said they couldn’t talk about it, but they would be hearing about it on the news.

‘‘We wish we had been informed, it’s frightening.’’

Around 7 p.m., police in civilian clothes started going door to door speaking to neighbours.

National Post, with files from Graeme Hamilton in Montreal and The Canadian Press

jbrean@nationalpost.com