‘Justice for Trayvon’ shouts echo after George Zimmerman found not guilty of killing Martin
After a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in the Trayvon Martin case, the world watching reacted with empathy and vitriol.
A six-woman jury decided late on Saturday night in Florida that Zimmerman acted in self-defense.
The jurors acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Zimmerman admitted to killing the 17-year-old boy as he walked through a gated community in Sanford, Fla., to his father’s home last February.
The 29-year-old neighborhood watchman suspected Martin was a criminal when he confronted him that night.
They struggled, and Zimmerman shot Martin. He claimed self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
But Martin, an African-American, was unarmed and held little more than his cellphone, soda and candy from the store.
Zimmerman wasn’t immediately charged, which sparked protests across the country, even prompting President Barack Obama to say if he had a son, he’d “look like Trayvon.”
The verdict sparked loud protests from Martin's supporters afterward. About 350 gathered outside the courthouse, shouting "the system has failed," and "justice for Trayvon."
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