Sarasota Teen Guilty of Murdering Two British Tourists

Shawn Tyson, 17, of Sarasota was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of British tourists James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, on April 16, 2011.

The jury deliberated for two hours Wednesday before convicting the teen, who now faces a mandatory life in prison sentence. 

The deadly encounter began when the two British men wandered into the neighborhood where Tyson lives, Bay News 9 reports.

"According to investigators, the men had been drinking heavily that night and somehow ended up in the Sarasota neighborhood of Newtown.

"Prosecutors say Tyson shot the men multiple times after a botched robbery attempt. Earlier this week, one of his friends, Latrice Washington, testified to that claim.

" 'He shot one of them in the side and one of them fell instantly,' Washington said on the stand. 'And then the other one was crying for his life, and he (Tyson) shot him and emptied the clip on him.' "

The murder weapon, a .22-caliber handgun, was never found, and Tyson's attorney's contended that it was one of his friends who did the shooting and that Tyson was at home at the time.

However, witnesses heard gunshots and then saw Tyson climbing into his window.

Before the judge issued his sentence, friends of the two victims addressed Tyson, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 

" 'You've taken us all on a journey to hell the last 12 months,' says John Hallett, friend of victims James Kouzaris and James Cooper. 'It was through your deadly action that you have taken us on a journey to hell ... They were decent human beings.

" 'They will haunt your thoughts forever. You pierced both their hearts with bullets ... you have ripped the hearts out of so many of us,' Hallett said."

Because he is under 18, Tyson will not face the death penalty.