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Page last updated at 23:10 GMT, Saturday, 7 November 2009
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UK tourist shot dead in Texas bar



Thomas Reeve and his daughter Mr Reeve, pictured with his baby daughter, died in hospital

A British tourist has been shot dead in a bar in the United States.

Thomas Reeve, 28, was killed when a man entered the bar in Amarillo, Texas, and opened fire, according to local police.

A suspect has been charged with capital murder, police said. A 48-year-old man was shot in the hand and a woman sexually assaulted, local reports say.

The parents of Mr Reeve, of Maidenhead, Berks, said: "He was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time." He leaves behind nine-month-old daughter Tabitha.

Reports have named the man who has been charged as Ray Carlos Cisneros, 25.

A family statement said: "Tom was a much loved son, brother and father who will be missed by the whole family and very many friends."

'Loved life'

He had only visited the city where he died "because he liked the song" (Is This The Way To) Amarillo by Tony Christie, it said.

"He loved life, was always happy and optimistic about the future. He was generous, kind and always saw the best in everyone he met. He adored his nine-month-old daughter, Tabitha, and was a devoted father.

"The whole family are in shock and will be issuing no further statements at this time."



When we saw it was a UK national who had just got into Amarillo that day it made our hearts sink
Adam Cox
KGNC Radio Amarillo

Relatives are receiving assistance from the Foreign Office consulate.

Mr Reeve had been driving from San Francisco, California, to Florida with two friends.

US police said Mr Reeve, who rented a car in California, had arrived in Amarillo just hours prior to the shooting.

Another friend described Mr Reeve as "lovely and easygoing".

He died at Northwest Texas Hospital, Amarillo, before being taken to Lubbock for a post-mortem examination.

Sgt Kevin Dockery of Amarillo special crimes unit told the BBC News channel that the incident was "shocking".

He added: "The bar itself is a small pub. It's in a nice area of town - we really have not had that much trouble there in the past so this was kind of shocking that this occurred.

"We do not have a lot of information on [the suspect] right now as he is not from Amarillo.

"At this time he has been charged with capital murder and we are looking at some additional charges some time down the road."

Police have interviewed some 20 people who were in the bar during the incident and have studied video footage of the shooting. Officers said the gunman also attacked other customers in the bar, hitting them either with his fist or handgun, and took wallets, purses, wallets and money from the bar's cash register.

He also forced one woman to remove some clothing, police added.

Texas newspaper The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal said on its website that police were called to the Spotted Pony Lounge at about 2245 local time on Thursday (0445 GMT on Friday).

It said a police manhunt ended with Ray Carlos Cisneros being taken into custody at about 1730 (2330 GMT) on Friday.


Texas map

Adam Cox, a reporter at KGNC Radio Amarillo, told the BBC there was "a lot of shock" in the town at what had happened.

"It's a pretty popular bar, right in the centre of Amarillo, the Spotted Pony Bar. Not many people expect this to happen where people will wander in and shoot up a bar like that," he said.

Mr Cox said: "It really is a heartbreaking story, you hate to hear that. When we saw it was a UK national who had just got into Amarillo that day it made our hearts sink."

"We don't have any motive yet. We do know that the man had apparently been at the bar earlier in the day, so we don't know if there was anything that could have happened earlier."



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RELATED INTERNET LINKS (External) Lubbock Online The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
FROM OTHER NEWS SITES (External) Guardian.co.uk   Father shot dead on US road trip - PA - 18 hrs ago (External) The Independent   British man shot dead in Amarillo - 33 hrs ago (External) Observer   British tourist shot dead on road trip to Amarillo - 34 hrs ago (External) Telegraph   British tourist Thomas Reeve shot dead in Amarillo Texas - 43 hrs ago (External) The Sun   Brit killed in US bar shooting - 47 hrs ago About these results

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