Two British tourists shot in Florida

[Cynical Ninja]

Two British tourists shot in Sarasota, Florida.

Thought to be a street robbery gone wrong, a 16 year old suspect has been arrested.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13113065

[Lady Cop]

i saw that in the Mail today, very sorry to hear it. there are some bad damn areas where the tourists shouldn't go, even in the sunshine mickey mouse state. i hate to speculate why they were in that area.



Detectives in America are investigating how two British holidaymakers came to be shot dead in a rundown neighbourhood in Florida.

University friends James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, were murdered in Newtown, a deprived part of the city of Sarasota, in the early hours of Saturday.

Local officers said it was 'very unusual' to find tourists in this area, which is about 12 miles away from the upmarket island city of Longboat Key where the pair were staying with Mr Cooper's family.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z1JsYswTyN

[Cynical Ninja]

I remember being in Orlando in 1994 and hearing gunshots being fired in anger in the streets for the first time in my life.

I'm not ashamed to admit that we shit our pants because it was just outside our hotel.

[Lady Cop]

orlando contains one of the most dangerous areas in florida, the orange blossom trail. the tourists don't see that in the brochures.

[Carsman]

Sometimes maybe trying to score doesn't always work out that well.

[Lady Cop]

SARASOTA - The 16-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting two British men to death this weekend in Newtown had a detention hearing in a Sarasota court this morning and so far is being charged as a juvenile.

The boy did not appear in court; he and his mother were represented by Public Defender Rebecca Wilson. The boy is being held in the juvenile assessment center, and his name has not been released because of his juvenile status.

The judge in the case set a 21-day timetable during which prosecutors can decide whether to try the boy as a juvenile or as an adult. They have until May 8 to make that determination.

If handled as a juvenile by the courts, the boy would be held in a juvenile jail rather than the adult jail while awaiting trial, and it could affect sentencing if found guilty.

For example, if convicted as a juvenile, he would not qualify for the death penalty.

[username]

I wonder if a 16 y/o boy could have taken those two out with a knife.

[Cynical Ninja]

I wonder if a 16 y/o boy could have taken those two out with a knife.

Of course, the knife is far more deadly than the glock, haven't you seen dickies powerpoint presentation on the subject?

LEO's always breath a sigh of relief when a criminal pulls a 9 mil out of his pocket as opposed to a knife.

[Duchess]

When they kill they should be treated as an adult would be. I don't want to hear any bullshit about this kid not realizing the consequences of his actions. That bugs the hell out of me when I read that excuse making crap.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

When they kill they should be treated as an adult would be. I don't want to hear any bullshit about this kid not realizing the consequences of his actions. That bugs the hell out of me when I read that excuse making crap.

Agreed, try him and fry him.

[Lady Cop]

even if they try him as an adult in florida, and they probably will, they can't execute him if he committed the crime at this age. but he can get LWOP.

[shitstorm]

What adorable, happy looking guys. Probably totally naive about the element they were most likely getting some recreational substance from. I hope the defendant is charged as an adult.

[Lady Cop]

more of story at link. i do think it is incorrect the killer can receive death penalty.


Daily Mail
the 16-year-old charged with murdering the two Britons was freed by a judge two weeks ago after he was arrested over an armed robbery.

Shawn Tyson, who allegedly shot Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following that incident.

However as it was his first offense he was released from custody while police investigated the case.

He will now be charged as an adult and, if convicted of first-degree murder of the two Britons, could face the death penalty.

Police investigators were last night trying to piece together how the two university friends were murdered in a gang-ridden neighborhood in the city of Sarasota.

U.S. officers were said to be mystified that the two middle-class visitors were in the Newton district.

One theory, however, is that they may have accepted the offer of a lift back to their upmarket resort 12 miles away, only to find themselves being set up for a robbery.

The pair were fleeing for their lives when they were shot ‘multiple times’ in the back with a handgun at 3am.

They were left to die in a run-down housing project infamous for drug-dealing and violent gang activity. Their bodies were found 50ft apart surrounded by at least 20 bullet cases.

It was understood that the weapon allegedly used by Tyson was a TEC-9, a semi-automatic handgun.

Mr Cooper, 25, a tennis coach who once played Andy Murray, and Mr Kouzaris, 24, a town planner and leading amateur rugby player, met while studying at Sheffield University.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z1Jy3I9Buo

[SIXFOOTERsez]

See what happens when you let the animals out? This ass clown had even proved he was worthless and some moron judge let him out

[Cynical Ninja]

Hmmmmm the accused looks like a real bright spark.

Jesus.

[shitstorm]

I'll expect another lecture from the PC crowd for saying this but foreign visitors to the US need to be warned to NEVER go into certain parts of any American city.

[ZEROSPHERES]

Shawn Tyson, a 16-year-old dropout, was charged Sunday with two counts of first-degree murder. The shooting took place one day after Mr. Tyson was released from a juvenile facility after his arrest on charges of aggravated assault with a handgun.

[username]

I'll expect another lecture from the PC crowd for saying this but foreign visitors to the US need to be warned to NEVER go into certain parts of any American city.

There are shitty parts of any country/state. Why would we be any different?

[Cracker]

Hmmmmm the accused looks like a real bright spark.

Jesus.

Spark or spook?

hahahahaha

When you see enough gun violence, you start to see a trend.

Honestly, OP, I see a handgun/assault rifle shooting almost every single day on the ATL news. I'm not exaggerating. Most of it is young persons, and most of it black on black violence. I have seen an increase in Hispanic on Hispanic violence, as well. Rednecks usually just kill their wives with a shotgun. I don't know how to fix it, so I just make sick jokes about it. You have to have a gallows humor about it. The other choice is to be helpless and sad about it.

I have a good friend at the CDC that was assigned to study gun violence in America. He said it was a bullshit study because gun violence is more about poverty, drug use, and lack of education. I have to assume he was correct.

[shitstorm]

I'll expect another lecture from the PC crowd for saying this but foreign visitors to the US need to be warned to NEVER go into certain parts of any American city.

There are shitty parts of any country/state. Why would we be any different?

I didn't say otherwise.