What were murdered Brits doing in Florida gangland?

Police in the Florida town of Sarasota are "examining all theories" surrounding the murders of British holidaymakers James Cooper and James Kouzaris in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Cooper, 25, and Kouzaris, 24, had been friends since they met at Sheffield University. They were shot multiple times, possibly by a handgun, around 3am in Newtown, a part of Sarasota noted for gang-related violence and high unemployment.

A 16-year-old boy, Shawn Tyson, has been charged with the murders and is likely to be tried as an adult, which means he faces the death penalty if found guilty.

Sarasota police say it is "very unusual" for tourists to visit Newtown and they are "examining all theories". One scenario that has been suggested is the possibility that the pair accepted a lift back to the well-heeled island town of Longboat Key, where they were staying, but were being set up for a robbery.

This would tally with claims that masked gunmen were lying in wait when the car pulled up in Newtown. Some sources suggest the ambush may also have been a gang initiation.

The other main theory is that Cooper and Kouzaris, after a Friday night partying in the seaside town of Sarasota, may have gone to Newtown in an attempt to buy drugs.

Police say the pair were in Newtown of their own volition, and cash was found on their bodies, but stress they have no reason to believe Cooper and Kouzaris were in the area to buy drugs.

However, asked by the Times if they were examining this possibility, a Sarasota police spokesman said: "It’s one theory. They had definitely been out on the Friday night, two young men having an evening out on the town, and how they ended up in this area is one of the things we are still looking into." ·