This Day in History: , Trayvon Martin
Is Shot and Killed.
February 26, 2012.
17-year-old Martin was shot and
killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman as
he was walking home from a Sanford, FL, convenience store.
After reporting Martin
as suspicious, Zimmerman
followed the unarmed teenager
despite police dispatch advice to stop.
After the shooting, Zimmerman claimed to have
acted in self-defense during a physical altercation.
He was questioned but not arrested by arriving police.
Martin had no criminal record.
His murder sparked nationwide protests, prompting
President Barack Obama to say,
“If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”.
Zimmerman was eventually charged with
second-degree murder by a special prosecutor
appointed by Florida’s governor.
Following a month-long trial,
a jury of six women found
Zimmerman not guilty