Some key witnesses took the stand Monday in the murder trial for the Sarasota teen accused of killing two British tourists last year.
Shawn Tyson, 17, is accused of killing two men from England as they walked through his neighborhood in the middle of the night, April 16, 2011.
On Monday, attorneys turned to the teen's friends for answers about what happened the night the two tourists died.
James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, were shot and killed after a night of partying in downtown Sarasota. Detectives said the two men had been heavily drinking and somehow ended up in the crime stricken neighborhood of Newtown.
Prosecutors said in a botched robbery attempt, Tyson ended up shooting both men multiple times.
Tyson's friend, Jermain Bane, took the stand Monday morning. He said Tyson called him after the murders.
Another witness, Latrice Washington, said he also talked to her about what happened.
"He shot one of them in the side and one fell instantly," Washington said. "The other one was crying for his life and he emptied the clip on him."
The defense disagrees about who pulled the trigger and is blaming one of Tyson's friends.
However, witnesses said Tyson showed them the murder weapon shortly after the shootings. It's a weapon that detectives still have not found.
"He had to find somewhere to hide it," Washington said.
She said Tyson told her that he gave the gun to one of his friends and asked him to get rid of it.
Some of the witnesses who testified were given plea deals.
However, Washington said she was not given an incentive to testify. Attorneys said she was spit on and called names as she left the courthouse
If convicted, Tyson faces life in prison. He does not face the death penalty because he was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime.