Two British holidaymakers shot dead in a run-down Florida housing estate were ambushed and chased by masked attackers before being killed, locals have claimed.
James Cooper and James Kouzaris were murdered in Newton, Sarasota, in a place police have described as a "no-go" area.
Police sources said they were exploring whether the friends were lured to the estate where their bodies were found, saying both were running away when they were shot.
The bullet-ridden bodies of the two men were found 50ft apart in a narrow street in the estate, which has links to gangs and drug-dealing.
Yesterday, it emerged the 16-year-old arrested on suspicion of their murder had recently been detained by police for aggravated assault with a firearm.
Shawn Tyson, who lived near the murder scene in the gangland area, was arrested for reportedly firing into a car.
Police also confirmed the teenager would be charged as an adult over the two murders, which means he could face the death penalty if convicted. He is believed to live in the estate with his mother.
Sonja Seymour, who lives on the street where the men's bodies were discovered, said: "I heard when they arrived here there were some people already waiting for them. They were wearing masks.
"The men ran away and they were shot. I saw one of them lying back with his arms outstretched. The other man was across the road lying on his back. They were not moving.
"The ambulance arrived and tried to work on the two men, but they couldn't do anything."
A police source said officers were exploring suggestions the pair had been driven back to the estate after a night bar-hopping in Sarasota.
They suspect the pair thought they were being taken to the resort of Longboat Key, about 12 miles from the scene of the murder, where they were staying.
However, the idea they walked to the area or were taken in a taxi has not been discounted.
The pair had been on a night out in down-town Sarasota the evening before their deaths.
Mr Kouzaris was on a three-week holiday in Florida with Mr Cooper and his family.
Mr Cooper's parents returned to their home in Warwickshire yesterday.
His grandfather said: "They boys went out in Florida on Friday evening as young men do - but they didn't come back. As it was late his mother ran his mobile and got no answer. She carried on ringing. Eventually a policeman answered it.
"They came to get Sandra and his dad and took them down to the police station, and only then did they tell them that the boys had been shot and killed. Sandra is shattered, as are we."
Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris had been staying in a £300-a- week apartment at the resort.
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