James Kouzaris (left) and James Cooper who were shot dead in Florida while on holiday. Photos: Public Domain
Two British holidaymakers have been shot and killed in Florida in what police believe may have been a botched robbery.
James Kouzaris, 24, and James Cooper, 25, former students at the University of Sheffield, were found dead in Newtown, a crime-ridden neighbourhood of Sarasota, at about 3am on Saturday.
Police have arrested a 16-year-old on suspicion of murder but were unable to provide any further details about what the two friends were doing in the early hours of the morning in an area of the city notorious for gang activity. "That is one of the key things we are investigating, just why they were there," Captain Paul Sutton of the Sarasota police department told the Guardian.
"At approximately 3am on 16 April, Sarasota police officers responded to a 911 call, the caller advised that a person was lying on the ground covered in blood.
"Officers checking the area located two male victims."
Despite local reports to the contrary, no bullet casings were found at the scene, Sutton said. Neither of the victims was carrying a weapon. Additionally, no trace of drugs nor an abnormally large amount of money was found.
"There is no link between the victims and the suspect," Sutton said. "A 16-year-old male, a resident of Sarasota, was arrested on two counts of murder and it's likely he'll be indicted on those charges as an adult at a later date."
Florida is one of the states that still has the death penalty on its statutes.
The crime scene is a far cry from the sugar-sand beaches and luxurious resorts of Longboat Key, 12 miles away, where police said that Cooper and Kouzaris had been staying.Continued
James Kouzaris, 24, and James Cooper, 25, former students at the University of Sheffield, were found dead in Newtown, a crime-ridden neighbourhood of Sarasota, at about 3am on Saturday.
Police have arrested a 16-year-old on suspicion of murder but were unable to provide any further details about what the two friends were doing in the early hours of the morning in an area of the city notorious for gang activity. "That is one of the key things we are investigating, just why they were there," Captain Paul Sutton of the Sarasota police department told the Guardian.
"At approximately 3am on 16 April, Sarasota police officers responded to a 911 call, the caller advised that a person was lying on the ground covered in blood.
"Officers checking the area located two male victims."
Despite local reports to the contrary, no bullet casings were found at the scene, Sutton said. Neither of the victims was carrying a weapon. Additionally, no trace of drugs nor an abnormally large amount of money was found.
"There is no link between the victims and the suspect," Sutton said. "A 16-year-old male, a resident of Sarasota, was arrested on two counts of murder and it's likely he'll be indicted on those charges as an adult at a later date."
Florida is one of the states that still has the death penalty on its statutes.
The crime scene is a far cry from the sugar-sand beaches and luxurious resorts of Longboat Key, 12 miles away, where police said that Cooper and Kouzaris had been staying.Continued
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