The Murder of Trayvon Martin – Photos, Videos & Tweets

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 10—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin Rally Sit-In Sanford—werthmedia (Flickr.com)

NYC Protest for Trayvon Martin—World Can

Trayvon Martin Vigil—sleystl (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin Vigil—sleystl (Flickr.com)

Ydanis Rodriguez Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2…—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 27—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 26—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 13—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 14—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin shooting protest 2012 Shankbone 12—david shankbone (Flickr.com)

Trayvon Martin Rally Sit-In Sanford—werthmedia (Flickr.com)

The shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman happened on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.  Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American male , was unarmed and returning back to where his dad was living.  Mr. George Zimmerman is a 28-year-old man of mixed ethnic descent who was a community watch coordinator in that same neighborhood.

Martin was on the way home to his father’s girlfriend house in a gated community where he was staying when Zimmerman began following him.  According to reports, Mr. Zimmerman called the Sanford Police Department to report what he described as suspicious behavior. The next thing we know, Mr. Zimmerman shot Martin once in the chest at close range.  The issue of race immediately becomes a question for America.

Zimmerman told the police department that he shot Martin in self-defense because Martin attacked him unprovoked.  According to leaked information from the police days after public outcry, Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and had a wound on the back of his head.  This information may or may not be disputed.

Police officers took Zimmerman into their custody, and transported him to the Sanford Police Department where he was questioned by investigators. Zimmerman was released without being charged because police said they did not find enough evidence to contradict his story of self-defense.  The public outcry was intense.  People wanted him arrested.  Justice was called for.

Then, he was arrested.

The lead homicide investigator reportedly said he did not believe it was self-defense and he wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter, but the state attorney’s office said there was insufficient evidence for a conviction.

http://storify.com/tresjoepow/trayvon-martin-the-preamble

This article was written and curated by Joseph P. McClelland.

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