Mystery over murdered Brits killed in Florida
Police in Florida investigating the deaths of two young British men in a dangerous district say no drugs were found on the pair – but officers say they still don’t know “just why they were there”.
Two British tourists were killed on Saturday in Sarasota, in the US state of Florida, after being shot. University friends James Kouzaris, 24, from Northamptonshire, and James Cooper, 25, from Warwickshire, were found with multiple bullet wounds.
They had been visiting the district of Newtown, an area notorious for drug crime. As yet is unclear why the pair were there in the early hours of the morning, but there is speculation they were victims of a street robbery. Local residents claim they heard shooting that sounded like machine gun fire.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murders. The accused was not in court on Monday morning but a hearing, witnessed by his mother, heard how there will now be a 21-day period where the judge will decide whether the young man will be tried as a juvenile or an adult. If he is tried as an adult then he could face the death penalty that is still in force in the state of Florida.
Acting Chief of Police, Micheal Holloway, told a press conference on Monday that the pair appeared to have been in the area out of choice and had not been taken there.
Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner also passed on his condolences to the victim’s families, but it was confirmed details and a photo of the accused gunman would not be released until a later date.
The two graduates of Sheffield University had set off for a holiday in the US after Mr Kouzaris had returned from travelling in South America. Mr Connors had been working as a part-time tennis coach while his friend was away.
On 24 March the pair shared their excitement for the trip on Facebook:
Cooper: “Ur back a week and then we go off to America. U are a joke!”
Kouzaris: “Miami, Miami!!!”
Mr Kouzaris had joined Mr Cooper who was holidaying with his family at a destination that had long been popular for them.
Dangerous area
Police are investigating how the two men ended up in the dangerous area of Sarasota at 3am, the time when the incident was reported to police, so far away from their holiday accommodation and with no explaination or witnesses to account for their movements. The 911 call stated that there was one victim but when police arrived they found a second body on the other side of the road, 50 feet away. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
That is one of the key things we are investigating, just why they were there. Police Cpt Paul Sutton
Captain Paul Sutton of the Sarasota Police Department said: “That is one of the key things we are investigating, just why they were there.”
He also added: “It is very unusual to find tourists or visitors in this area. It is a residential area with no shops and no bars. We do not know what brought them back here at 3am.”
Despite the arrest, the mystery over the shooting continued when Capt. Sutton admitted more than one person could have been involved: “We’re looking at the possibility. More than one person ran when the shots were fired. Is that other people involved or is it people who just happened to be there?”
The Newtown area has an unemployment rate of nearly 30 per cent and is known for its gang culture, violence and drug crime.
Sutton confirmed that there was no trace of drugs found on the two deceased persons, but did not confirm whether or not the pair were carrying weapons or holding an unusually large amount of money.
The pair were staying 12 miles away from the shooting site at Longboat Key, a popular tourist area with expensive resorts, and a favoured area for students from across the country who escape college for the party-fuelled ‘Spring Break’ holidays. Newtown also has a relatively large student population because of its low rent and proximity to a popular arts school.
Tributes
James Kouzaris’s family released a statement to Northamptonshire police: “James was a wonderful son. We loved him so much and we can’t believe he is gone. We are absolutely devastated and in a state of complete shock.”
His sister Emily gave her own tribute on Facebook: “My brother was a legend and he will be missed and loved by many, many people.”
James Cooper, who coached youngsters to play tennis and had success as a junior player, received similarly glowing tributes.
His former lecturer at Sheffield University, Dr Jon Burchell, told press: “During his time in Sheffield, James was an enthusiastic and hard working student, and was popular among his peers.
“He had a good sense of humour and a range of plans for what he wanted to do after graduation.”
