British tourist shot dead in Amarillo

Published on Saturday 7 November 2009 19:02

A BRITISH father shot dead in a US bar was just "in the wrong place, at the wrong time", his family said last night.

Tom Reeve, 28, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, had only stopped in Amarillo while travelling through the US "because he liked the song" by Tony Christie, relatives said.

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

Teetotal Mr Reeve, who had been on a road-trip from San Francisco to Florida with two friends, died of a wound to the torso after a masked gunman walked in to the Spotted Pony bar on Thursday night

The gunman, who struck other customers in the bar, hitting them either with his fist or handgun, took purses, wallets and money from the bar's cash register and forced one woman to remove some of her clothing, according to officers.

Police interviewed about 20 people who were in the bar during the shooting and reviewed a tape of the episode. A man has been arrested in connection with the attack.