11:30
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James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, had been holidaying with family and friends in the Gulf coast town of Sarasota.The two men were found riddled with bullets 50 feet apart in a residential area off the tourist trail after police were called to the scene.Officers found the first body surrounded by up to 20 shell casings before discovering the second victim nearby in the early hours of Saturday morning. Local residents had reported what they thought was 'machine gun fire'.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
James Cooper - who had posted pictures of himself on Facebook from exotic locations around the world - was shot dead three days after his 25th birthday.
He had previously visited Ecuador, Taiwan, Argentina, Vietnam and Laos.
Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris, who are believed to have met at Sheffield University, had been due to spend three weeks in Sarasota.
They had been staying on the upmarket island city of Longboat Key, about 12 miles from the less affluent area where they were killed.
Friends and family paid tribute to Mr Kouzaris, known as 'Jam', on his Facebook profile page.
Posts commented on his positivity and one friend said Mr Kouzaris 'lived every day to the fullest'.
Lynn Hucker wrote: 'To a beautiful cousin who I will never forget. Always happy and full of life. You will be so sadly missed James.'
Another post from a friend called Ben Stacey read: 'RIP Jam, absolute legend. It was an honour mate, I was so looking forward to seeing you again in Miami. The month travelling with you was some of the best times I've had and was so thankful I met you. Rated you very highly XO'.
Mr Kouzaris, from Northampton, was a guest of the Cooper family, from Warwick who were on holiday in the area, police said.
Police in Sarasota said neither of the men were in possession of drugs, but would not say whether they had cash or weapons.The area is a hotspot for gangs.
A police spokesman said: 'This is an area where not many tourists venture. We are still trying to ascertain why they were there.'
'Both victims were white,' said Sarasota Police Captain Paul Sutton.
A spokesman for the British consulate in Miami said: 'British consular officials can confirm that two British nationals were killed in Sarasota, Florida, on April 16. Next of kin have been notified.
'Officials from the consulate in Orlando are providing assistance. The two male victims were on holiday in Florida with other family and friends.'
Shootings of British tourists are rare in the U.S. but in November 2009 Thomas Reeve was gunned down while drinking with friends in a Texas bar.
The 28-year-old father of one was in Amarillo, Texas, when the bar he was drinking in was held up by an armed robber.
He was visiting the city during a road trip across the U.S. and had called in at the Spotted Pony Lounge in Amarillo because he liked the 1970s hit 'Is This the Way to Amarillo'.
Mr Reeve, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, was hit in the torso after the robber Ray Carlos Cisneros fired wildly into the bar.
Earlier in the year Craig Elford, 39 and Kenneth Watkinson, 48, were killed in a hit-and-run accident as they walked back to their hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
The businessmen, who were in the city recruiting for a health firm, were struck by a high-powered Porsche sports car and died instantly.
Ryan LeVin, 35, the son of a millionaire, is awaiting trial on vehicular manslaughter charges.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder.
James Cooper - who had posted pictures of himself on Facebook from exotic locations around the world - was shot dead three days after his 25th birthday.
He had previously visited Ecuador, Taiwan, Argentina, Vietnam and Laos.
Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris, who are believed to have met at Sheffield University, had been due to spend three weeks in Sarasota.
They had been staying on the upmarket island city of Longboat Key, about 12 miles from the less affluent area where they were killed.
Friends and family paid tribute to Mr Kouzaris, known as 'Jam', on his Facebook profile page.
Posts commented on his positivity and one friend said Mr Kouzaris 'lived every day to the fullest'.
Lynn Hucker wrote: 'To a beautiful cousin who I will never forget. Always happy and full of life. You will be so sadly missed James.'
Another post from a friend called Ben Stacey read: 'RIP Jam, absolute legend. It was an honour mate, I was so looking forward to seeing you again in Miami. The month travelling with you was some of the best times I've had and was so thankful I met you. Rated you very highly XO'.
Mr Kouzaris, from Northampton, was a guest of the Cooper family, from Warwick who were on holiday in the area, police said.
Police in Sarasota said neither of the men were in possession of drugs, but would not say whether they had cash or weapons.The area is a hotspot for gangs.
A police spokesman said: 'This is an area where not many tourists venture. We are still trying to ascertain why they were there.'
'Both victims were white,' said Sarasota Police Captain Paul Sutton.
A spokesman for the British consulate in Miami said: 'British consular officials can confirm that two British nationals were killed in Sarasota, Florida, on April 16. Next of kin have been notified.
'Officials from the consulate in Orlando are providing assistance. The two male victims were on holiday in Florida with other family and friends.'
Shootings of British tourists are rare in the U.S. but in November 2009 Thomas Reeve was gunned down while drinking with friends in a Texas bar.
The 28-year-old father of one was in Amarillo, Texas, when the bar he was drinking in was held up by an armed robber.
He was visiting the city during a road trip across the U.S. and had called in at the Spotted Pony Lounge in Amarillo because he liked the 1970s hit 'Is This the Way to Amarillo'.
Mr Reeve, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, was hit in the torso after the robber Ray Carlos Cisneros fired wildly into the bar.
Earlier in the year Craig Elford, 39 and Kenneth Watkinson, 48, were killed in a hit-and-run accident as they walked back to their hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
The businessmen, who were in the city recruiting for a health firm, were struck by a high-powered Porsche sports car and died instantly.
Ryan LeVin, 35, the son of a millionaire, is awaiting trial on vehicular manslaughter charges.
