Trayvon Martin's Death

Trayvon Martin's Death

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Updated Aug 07, 2024 at 12:46PM EDT by Zach.

Added Mar 26, 2012 at 04:57PM EDT by Brad.

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Overview

Travyon Martin's Death was a highly publicized murder trial involving the fatal shooting of a Florida teenager named Trayvon Martin by 28-year-old George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida.

Background

On February 26th, 2012, African American teenager Trayvon Martin was fatally shot by 28-year-old George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. According to the official report, Martin was unarmed and found dead on the scene upon the arrival of police officers, who responded to a non-emergency call made by the shooter shortly before he approached Martin on his own.



Zimmerman, a community watch captain, described the incident as an act of self-defense after a physical scuffle ensued between the two. Though Zimmerman was taken into custody that evening, officers were unable to find any evidence contradicting Zimmerman's claim of self-defense and no charges were filed.

Notable Developments

Though the case would go on to make national headlines in the news media and spark yet another round of debates over firearm control laws in the United States, it did not receive attention until Martin's parents launched an online petition. Timelines of the story's development have been compiled by ABC News[54] and Mother Jones.[55]

Online Petition

Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, created an online petition via Change.org[8] on March 8th to pressure local police to pay closer attention to their son's case. It gathered several thousand signatures in the three weeks leading up to national coverage of the story. By March 21st, it had become the fastest growing petition in Change.org's history[9] with 800 people signing per minute. Five days later, the petition reached 2.2 million signatures, with 1000 new signatures per minute.[10] The Facebook group Justice For Trayvon Martin[7] was created on March 15th, 2012, accruing 179,000 likes in just under two weeks.

Twitter Reaction

Several celebrities[11] including Mike Tyson[34], journalists Anderson Cooper[12] and Nancy Grace[15], and filmmakers Spike Lee[13] and Michael Moore[14] took to Twitter as early as March 19th using the hashtag #TrayvonMartin[16] to bring attention to the case. Additionally, fake accounts for celebrities joined in the conversation. The now-suspended account @RealFerrelWill[52] offered to donate a dollar to a fake foundation in Martin's name for every retweet the message received. It was retweeted by hundreds of people[49] and mentioned in an article on gossip site US Weekly.[50] The fake account @ReaiWiiiSmith[53] compared the inequality of Martin's murderer going free to the arrest of the woman who flour bombed[45] reality star Kim Kardashian at a red carpet event on March 23rd.




Despite the fabricated nature of @WiiiSmith's tweet, a screenshot of the message was tweeted out by Spike Lee and Rosie O’Donnell[48] the next day. It also appeared on photo sharing site Sodahead[44] and gossip blog Celebuzz.[47] The path of retweets and mentions of @ReaiWiiiSmith’s tweet was compiled on Storify[51]on March 26th. Later that day, it was revealed that Will Smith doesn't have a Twitter account[59] and the activist who threw the flour at Kardashian was not arrested.[46]

The amount of Tweets per hour using Martin's name peaked on March 24th, the day after LeBron James tweeted out a photo of the Miami Heat with their hoods up to show their solidarity with Martin's family. The Pew Researcher Center[81] collected tweets between March 17th and March 28th, finding that 28% of them contained messages of outrage and calls for justice for Martin and his family.



March 19th: A Million Hoodies

Digital strategist Daniel Maree published a blog post[24] and YouTube video[25] on March 19th encouraging people to join him in wearing hoodies while marching to the United Nations in New York City[26] on March 21st. Several hundred people attended the march on the 21st in Manhattan, which was covered by the Huffington Post[41], the Daily Beast[42], and TIME.[43] The New York City march sparked similar rallies under the banner Million Hoodie March in Philadelphia[35] on March 23rd, and in both Los Angeles[36] and Iowa[37] on March 26th. In addition to the demonstrations in real life, Maree asked viewers to post photos of themselves in hooded sweatshirts on social networking sites using the hashtag #millionhoodies.[27] Several celebrities[28] participated in the hashtag on Twitter including Sean Combs[29], Nelly[32] and digital director of The Onion Baratunde Thurston.[33] On Tumblr, the single topic blog I am Trayvon Martin[58] was created on March 20th featuring photos of people wearing hoods, acquiring nearly 200 submissions within a week. Finally, six New York state lawmakers wore hoodies[56] over their suits in the Capitol chambers on March 26th to protest Florida’s lack of action towards the case.


AM TRAYVON MARTIN

March 22nd: Geraldo Rivera's Gaffe

Journalist and former talk show host Geraldo Rivera tweeted[18] on March 22nd that Martin's hoodie was just as much to blame as Zimmerman, his shooter. The next day, an article was published on Fox News Latino[17] in which Rivera asserted that wearing a hoodie made him look “like a hoodlum” and “gave his assailant cause to think him the enemy.”[17] That day, he also appeared on the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends to discuss this on air.[3]3]



After the segment aired, many Twitter users[30] including comedian Aziz Ansari[31] tweeted about their disappointment with Rivera’s commentary. Buzzfeed[20] pointed out that Fox News carried a hooded sweatshirt in their online store which disappeared from the shop[21] within hours. The single topic blog Geraldo in a Hoodie[19] was also created on March 23rd to gather photos of the journalist wearing hooded sweatshirts.



Three days later, Stephen Colbert commented[22] on the situation, stating that Congress should pass strict hoodie control legislation. The following morning, Rivera apologized[23] for his statement, noting that he did not intend to draw attention away from an unarmed teenager’s death.

March 23rd: #WeAreTrayvonMartin Hashtag

The hashtag #WeAreTrayvonMartin[6] began gaining steam on Twitter when NBA athlete LeBron James tweeted a photo[4] of the Miami Heat basketball team wearing sweatshirts with their hoods up on March 23rd. That day, a single topic blog titled “I Could Be Trayvon”[38] was created, where users could submit photos of themselves wearing a hoodie or personal stories about times they have felt racially profiled because of their clothing.


Heat players show solidarity in the Trayvon Martin case as they prepared for Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons (Twitter) (March 23, 2012)

Discussions on the racial profiling surrounding the case appeared in articles on Current[2] and the Christian Science Monitor[1] as well as a YouTube video[57] by Howard University students. Floridian rapper Piles also uploaded a song titled “We Are Trayvon”[39] that day, announcing[40] it would be made available on iTunes March 27th with all the proceeds going to Martin’s family.



March 27th: Spike Lee's Mistweet

On March 23rd, Los Angeles resident Marcus Higgins published several tweets from his account @MACCAPONE[60] with an address that reportedly belonged to George Zimmerman. The tweets were sent to both personal contacts as well as several celebrities in an attempt to draw the public's attention. It was finally retweeted by director Spike Lee, who had nearly 250,000 followers at the time.[61] The residents at the address did not have any relation to the shooter. The George Zimmerman attributed to the residence is now 41-year-old William George Zimmerman, whose parents David and Elaine McClain currently live in the house.



After receiving a bag of Skittles in the mail[65] in reference to Martin having bought a bag of Skittles on the night of his death, the couple felt threatened and were forced to leave their home.[69] On the 28th, both Higgins[62] and Spike Lee[63] apologized to the couple on Twitter for posting the McClain's address, however all accounts involved may be suspended for violating Twitter privacy rules[64] that state users cannot post other people's street addresses without their permission. The story was covered by the Smoking Gun[65], CBS News[66], the Wall Street Journal[67] and the Washington Post.[68]

March 27th: Martin's Email Hacked

A white supremacist hacker known as "Klanklannon" posted a series of images to 4chan’s /pol/ (political) board, claiming they were from Martin’s personal Twitter and Facebook accounts. The screenshots, which painted Martin as if he was involved in drugs and illicit activity, were reposted on the Neo-Nazi forum Stormfront that day. Klanklannon also posted the login information for Martin's accounts to that forum so other users could check them out for themselves.


Trayvon Martin Used Marijuana Habitually Trayvon Slimm Martin s--- i wanna smoke doe July 8, 2011 achery Witherspoon November 26, 2011 at 10:44pm via mobile Mackenzie DumbRyte Baksh ohh bad news i stopped but dnt worry ima still smoke u out nd s--- nd ima stil chill July 8, 2011 wea its at tonight Trayvon Slimm Martin Juwon Smith CRIBWE GON GET A SESSION November 26, 2011 at 10:46pm Trayvon Slimm Martin y? July 8, 2011 Mackenzie DumbRyte Baksh July 8, 2011 just dnt feel lke i wanna do t anymore i was zooted the other da nd i was just like idkk i dnt feel ike it anymo Widler Metellus September 22, 2011 at 4:07am via mobile . July 8, 2011 Trayvon Slimm Martin o aigh Yee All My Niqqas Stoned Riqht Now Lol.. F---- With That Cause Im In The Backyard Fuckinq With That OG Sour haha #kiddzooted Mackenzie DumbRyte Baksh yupp but igot u i aint funna do nuthin else different July 8, 2011 Trayvon Simm Martin likes this Trayvon Slimm Martin 4rm brian? September 22, 2011 at 4:09am Trayvon Slimm Martin so u just go throw me some trees July 8, 2011 Widler Metellus Naw lol my cousin got some from his homboi and he slide me a dub September 22, 2011 at 4:11am-1 It's obvious that Trayvon used marijuana for months preceding his tragic death. Skee Dolas Nickuhs @MrMonopolSKEE @RIP TRAY9: finna blow 1 wit my dawg pic twitter.com/6hpcob3h" soon as I touch 12h down Apparently, Trayvon enjoyed smoking marijuana so much, that it convinced his friend's that the best way to honor his passing was to simply get high. Raymond Victrum Bra u gotta tell me wat happen yesterday I knw u didin start nuttin up dere cuz u aint ㎞w nobody damn b ur ole boy should of took u home early sunday morning ! jus seen u remember all da times we smoke n I always ask u is u gud bn say im gud lol dat waz to funny u knw we smoke one for u b we had to it was only rite damm I feel how mario feel jus keep watchn ova us b n ur name wont neva de i s dnt believe dis btr.i.p tray February 27 at 10:40m·@ 6 people like this.

Gawker[77] broke the story on March 29th, revealing that the hacker also had a screenshot of Martin's Gmail inbox, which he had been using to apply to colleges. The emails contained information on SAT test dates and scholarship applications. The story was quickly reposted on the Huffington Post[78], New York Magazine[79], and the Miami New Times.[80]

March 28th: Leaked Police Surveillance Video

A CCTV footage of George Zimmerman’s detainment with the police was posted to ABC News[70] and CNN[71] on March 28th. It was submitted to the Politics subreddit[72] that night, where it received 3037 upvotes and a total score of 1554. Several Redditors inspected[76] the video to see if it corroborated with the claim that his head and face were both bloodied and the back of his shirt was wet and grass-stained at the time of his arrest.[73] Redditor atsugman compiled a set of stills[74] in which Zimmerman’s head does not appear to be bloodied at all.[75]

April 11th: Arrest of Zimmerman

On April 11th, 2012, a special prosecutor was appointed to the case and she filed charges of murder in the second degree against Zimmerman, who then turned himself in. On April 20th, the judge approved Zimmerman's bail on a $150,000 bond and he was released from jail three days later. At an arraignment held on April 23rd, Zimmerman's attorney entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client.

Controversy: Trayvoning

Sometime in April 2012, photographs of people on the ground with a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona Iced Tea began surfacing on Facebook and Tumblr under the name "Trayvoning." While it largely went unnoticed for about a month, the disturbing photo fad was picked up by Clutch Magazine[82] and an article titled "Trayvoning: This Trend Has to Stop" was published on May 17th.


TM TRAYVONING YO Skittles TRAYNONING TRAYVONINe

In the following week in May, links to two Facebook pages titled "Trayvoning" and photos began making the rounds on blogs like DailyDot[83], Christian Post and UPTOWN among others. Following the blog coverage of the photo fad, the Facebook pages[85] were shut down but it has continued to spread on Tumblr[84], leading to an emotionally charged debate over its appropriateness.

June 24th: The Trial Begins

On June 24th, 2013, George Zimmerman's trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin commenced at a courtroom in Sanford, Florida. Facing an all-women jury of five Caucasians and one Hispanic member, the first day of the proceedings was heavily marked by bold opening statements from both sides, with the prosecutor greeting the jury with a quote full of expletives uttered by the defendant in the moments leading up to the deadly confrontation, while the defense attorney Donald West made his opening statement with a "knock knock" joke (shown below).



"Knock. Knock."
"Who is there?"
"George Zimmerman."
"George Zimmerman who?"
"Ah, good. You're on the jury."


Although the joke was intended to illustrate the importance of selecting an unbiased jury in such a highly publicized trial, West's introduction was largely met by indifferent reactions from the jury and heavy criticisms online and in the news media, many of whom questioned the appropriateness of using a joke in a murder trial.

July 3rd: 4chan Interrupts Testimony

On June 3rd, 2013, during a Skype witness testimony at the trial of Zimmerman, members of the 4chan board /pol/[91] (Politics) managed to repeatedly interrupt the proceedings by dialing the Skype number of Scott Pleasants, a criminal justice professor from Seminole State College who was remotely testifying before the court about a course Zimmerman took with him in 2011, shortly after prosecutor Rich Mantei's username was broadcast live on TV.



Former Reuters editor Matthew Keys tweeted[92] a screen shot of the incoming calls at approximately 11 a.m. EST on July 3rd. Soon after, The Smoking Gun[93] reported that the calls became so intrusive, Pleasants had to hang up the Skype call and finish his testimony over the phone. Later that day, the Daily Dot[94] found a screenshot (shown below) from the /pol/ board with a photograph of Pleasants testifying, encouraging people to call the Skype number. However, this thread was not archived.


File: 1372864316176.ipg-(289 KB, 795x434, Untitled.jpg) Anonymous (ID: 3jWVooPM) 07/03/13(Wed)11:11:56 No.490855074 Replies Anyone calling? Anonymous (ID: 0EWCQF81) 07/03/13(Wed)11:12:29 No.490855138 who was the name? Anonymous (ID: xRMCWzJN) 07/03/13(Wed)11:12:31 No.490855140 bahahah Anonymous (ID: ybXGgoXR) 07/03/13(Wed)11:12:45 No.490855162 YOU ARE OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE! Anonymous (ID: ybXGgoXR) 07/03/13(Wed)11:13:15 No.490855214 f--- you salmon tapur Anonymous (ID: YvHLWRgW) 07/03/13(Wed)11:13:16 No.490855219 HAHAHHA!I DIED Anonymous (ID: NAnPsiUM) 07/03/13(Wed)11:13:27 No.490855246 F------ LEL Anonymous (ID: 2VsUICZd) 07/03/13(Wed)11:13:30 No.490855252 w-- are you guys doing lol

Zimmerman Verdict

On July 13th, 2013, the jury delivered a verdict declaring Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter after 16 hours of deliberation.



Immediately after the verdict was read, Redditor RHCPismyfavoriteband submitted a post to the /r/news[95] subreddit containing a roundup of news reports about the jury's decision and a summary of the events leading to the trial. Within 48 hours, the post received over 21,400 up votes and 19,000 comments. In the comment section, users debated whether or not the verdict was just, with supporters of Zimmerman arguing he acted in self-defense and others claiming he shouldn't have followed Martin in the first place. The same day, Zimmerman's older brother Robert tweeted a message from their father:




In Oakland, California, roughly one hundred people gathered to protest the verdict, with police reporting several incidents of vandalism.[96] Other protests were held in New York City[99], where more than 1,000 people held a sit-in in Times Square, and Los Angeles, where protesters stopped traffic for 25 minutes. Celebrities also took part in their own protests, including Stevie Wonder[100] who declared a boycott against performing in any state with a Stand Your Ground law (shown below).



Also on Sunday evening, one of Zimmerman's close relatives who was with him prior tot he shooting participated in an Ask Me Anything thread on Reddit[97] that generated more than 6,400 upvotes and 5,700 comments. Using the handle Black_Metal, the relative explained that he stood by Zimmerman's account, but acknowledged that he had changed since the shooting.[98]

We Are Not Trayvon Martin

Also on July 14th, instructor Bob Seay from Lamar Community College in Colorado made a Facebook post[102] titled "I am not Trayvon Martin" as a spin on the original hashtag #WeAreTrayvonMartin[6] and single topic blog I Am Trayvon Martin[58], both of which began to circulate in March. His manifesto (shown below) acknowledged that he does not have to experience what Martin did as he is a middle-aged white man. However, he stated people not have to experience life from Martin's point of view to know that shooting an unarmed teen was wrong. Within 48 hours, the post had been liked nearly 110,000 times and shared more than 46,000 times. The following day, the single topic blog We Are Not Trayvon Martin[101] launched, accruing nearly 500 posts and submissions in a day sharing similar sentiments discussing white privilege from people across the globe. The blog has since been featured on Gawker[103], the Daily Dot[104], Mashable[105] and Color Lines.[106]


Bob Seay 989 followers Yesterday at 9:55am Follow I am not Trayvon Martin. I keep seeing people say, "I am Trayvon Martin." I understand the sentiment. If that is you, then I respect that. I am not Trayvon Martin. I am a middle-aged, middle class, overweight white guy. I am also a teacher, and in 20 years of teaching, I have seen plenty of Trayvon Martins. More accurately,I have seen plenty of young men who fit the caricatured image that is being portrayed of this kid in the media, Left and Right. Fox News and MSNBC. I'm guessing that neither portrayal - saint or thug is accurate. People are more complex than that. None of the Trayvon Martins that I know deserve to die. They may arouse suspicion, but your paranoia is not their crime. If they do commit a crime, they deserve to have a trial. Trayvon Martin's jury consisted of one person. That is not how we are supposed to do things in America. Unfortunately, that is our reality Here's my point: You don't have to be Trayvon Martin to know this is wrong. You don't have to be black, or young, or a "troubled student" or a pot smoker to know this was murder. And you don't have to be the parent of Trayvon Martin to know this was a gross miscarriage of justice Let me be more blunt: This type of injustice will continue until enough guys like me guys who are not Trayvon Martin have had enough of it and finally say "No more You don't have to be Trayvon Martin. You just have to be human. Like Comment Share 36,521 89,316 people like this.

Juror B37's Book Deal

On July 15th, Galleycat[107] announced that Juror B37 and her attorney husband had inked a deal with literary agent Sharlene Martin to write a book about her experience with the trial. B37, who had voted to acquit Zimmerman, was also the first juror to speak publicly about the case, doing an exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper[108] that night. Though she has chosen to remain anonymous, Gawker[109] shared a video of her initial juror selection interview (shown below), in which she revealed she hated the media, claimed did not use the internet and called Martin "a boy of color."



Soon after, a Change.org petition[110] was created to convince Martin to drop her client so the juror could not "profit off of the injustice" of the verdict, gaining 1,346 signatures before it was closed. The petition was discussed at length on Twitter[111] by its creator, Genie Lauren, and its supporters, resulting Martin rescinding the deal.[112] Later that day, Juror B37 issued a statement (shown below) by way of Martin[113] stating that she did not realize the amount of pain involved with the case due to her sequestering and was backing away from writing the book at all.


"I realize it was necessary for our jury to be sequestered in order to protest our verdict from unfair outside influence, but that isolation shielded me from the depth of pain that exists among the general public over every aspect of this case. The potential book was always intended to be a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband's perspectives solely and it was to be an observation that our "system" of justice can get so complicated that it creates a conflict with our "spirit" of justice.Now that I am returned to my family and to society in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury. -Zimmerman #JurorB37

Halloween Costume Controversy

On October 25th, Florida resident Caitlin Cimeno uploaded an Instagram of herself posing alongside her friends dressed in their Halloween costumes as black-faced Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. At first, Cimeno's Instagram post was met by approving responses from one of the two depicted in the image, but it quickly began circulating across Twitter and Facebook and by October 27th, it had gone viral-controversial after Gawker highlighted the Instagram in an article titled "Because Mere Blackface Wasn't Offensive Enough For These Partiers."


Kt Cimeno Yesterday via ios Happy Halloween from Zimmerman & trayvon -with William Filene and Greg Cimeno. Share 29 people like this. D 1 share View 4 more comments NEIGHBORHoo WATCEH Helena Radi evié miss you too.. next summer will come so fast." 20 hours ago but the Kristina Swinney-Dunne Not that funny William Filene 19 hours ago via mobile 1 Jasmine Reis She's Robin Da Hood lol that's what my costume is lol 16 hours ago via mobile Megan Paulsen Not cool 11 hours ago via mobile Greg Cimeno Not too funny. It's f------ hilarious!!! 10 hours ago via mobile 32 John Micheal Lol gotta love the Zimmerman haters 3 hours ago via mobile 1

That same day, The Smoking Gun identified the three partygoers in the photograph as Caitlin Cimeno, Greg Cimeno and and William Filene, while revealing several details about the subjects, such as Filene's felony conviction for auto theft and Caitlin's history of racy comments on Facebook. In the following 24 hours, Cimeno's Instagram was picked up by at least 60 news sites, according to Google News, with many articles declaring it as the worst or most offensive costume of this year's Halloween.

George Zimmerman's Celebrity Boxing Match

On January 30th, 2014, celebrity news site TMZ reported that George Zimmerman has teamed up with boxing promoter Damon Feldman and agreed to participate in a three-round celebrity boxing match against a randomly chosen contender to be held sometime in March. According to Zimmerman, who took up boxing as a hobby prior to and during his trial last year, all proceeds from the event will go towards a charity. In the article, Feldman was quoted as saying that Zimmerman would be open to fight anyone while openly inviting people to sign up for the boxing match via fightgeorge@hotmail.com.


EXCLUSIVE DETAILS

On February 1st, TMZ reported that at least two American hip hop artists, The Game and DMX, have taken up the challenge to fight George Zimmerman in the ring. According to the article, DMX was quoted as saying that he is "going to beat the living fuck out of [Zimmerman]… I am breaking every rule in boxing to make sure I f**k him right up" and "once I am done with him, I am going to whip my d**k out and piss on him … right in his muthaf**kin face."



On February 2nd, an online petition to "Stop George Zimmerman and Promoter Damon Feldman from using murder & racial hate in America for Profit" was created on the White House's We The People[119] website. As more details about the celebrity boxing match came to light, the petition reached nearly 100,000 signatures in the first 72 hours.


WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Stop George Zimmerman and Promoter Damon Feldman from using murder & racial hate in America for Profit Celebrity Boxing Promoter Damon Feldman & George Zimmerman are attempting to promote and profit off of racial tensions in America. Damon Feldman has been known for fixing fights and taking short cuts in the past in bypassing state requirements for fighters to obtain a license to box. Mr Feldmans past should be highly considered in this regard if Feldman is not going through the proper channels to ensure the safety of the participants it puts lives at risk. in addition the entire idea of this event is to use racial tensions to lure people in to purchase the event. this will only hurt America as it will continue to stir up racial tensions that have been on going in this nation for quite some time. No Promoter or Celebrity Boxer should ever be allowed to use racial tension to profit. Created: Feb 02, 2014 Issues: Civil Rights and Liberties, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Learn about Petition Thresholds BIY MARCH 04:2014 0 96,860 SIGNATURES NEEDED REACH GAL 714 TO96,860NTAHL S PEIATNE 3,140 ON THIS PETITION 100,000

On February 5th, TMZ confirmed that DMX has been chosen as Zimmerman's opponent in the celebrity boxing match. In the following 24 hours, the news quickly spread across the Hollywood gossip and hip hop blogosphere, and unsurprisingly, it immediately prompted a heavy backlash on Twitter[120] against both parties involved, as well as Feldman. Later that same day, however, DMX's publicist released a statement clarifying that the match has yet to be confirmed due to the ongoing contractual negotiation. Once confirmed, the date, time and location of the fight will be announced at a news conference on February 12th.

George Zimmerman's Retweet

On Friday, September 25th, 2015, George Zimmerman began tweeting the name and phone number of a man named Micah Williams, who used the Twitter Handle @SonusCarAudio. Zimmerman claimed that the man "believes paying for his wife's abortion from an affair is an excuse 2 not pay child support," and called on his 10,000 followers to call him and inform him otherwise.[121] In response, one of Zimmerman's followers tweeted a photograph of Trayvon Martin's dead body at Zimmerman and Williams, with the text "Z-man is a one man army" (below).


George Zimmerman retweeted Grand Moff Alexander @Serious Slav 3d @RaspberryPirate @TherealGeorgeZ @SonusCarAudio Z-Man is a one man army
Screencap of the tweet from the New York Daily News. The original tweet was uncensored.

When the tweet was later removed by Twitter after a general outcry, during which George Zimmerman's name was tweeted more than 12,000 times[120] and the story was picked up by the New York Daily News,[122] Complex,[123] and Perez Hilton,[124] among others. In response, Zimmerman tweeted a series of images of "wanted"-style posters bearing his face, complaining how Twitter refused to remove these types of images. In addition, he again tweeted the name and phone number of Micah Williams and directed any "press inquiries" to the man. Finally, he tweeted a photograph of himself on the beach, smoking a cigar.


RO.RS $10,000 FOR THE MURDER TRAYVONMARTIN George Zimmerman @TherealGeorgez Follow I wonder when Twitter will take these images down??? 11:43 AM-28 Sep 2015 わ t346 ★71 GEORGE ZIMMERMAN FAN CLUB George Zimmerman @TherealGeorgez Follow All media inquiries can be directed to Ms. Micah Williams (360) 628-1467 or (931) 802-8913 or @SonusCarAudio 11:49 AM-28 Sep 2015 George Zimmerman @TherealGeorgez Follow Follovw As much as I love owning all you trolls I have to work... On my tan! Tell "Karma" she's worthless, God protects me. 12:59 PM -28 Sep 2015 わ 다 155 ★186

Gun Auction

On May 11th, 2016, Zimmerman placed the Kel-Tec PF-9 9 mm caliber pistol used in the fatal shooting of Martin for sale with a starting bid of $5,000 on the firearm auctioning website GunBroker.com.[125] In the description field, Zimmerman claimed that a portion of the money earned would go towards fighting "violence against police officers" by the Black Lives Matter movement and "Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric" (shown below).


George Zimmerman's PF-9 used on 2/26/12 GZ1776 NR Add Favorite Seller Ask Seller a Question Used Condition Add to Watch Mimu $5,000.00 $0.00 Reserve Not Met Leh 15 min rule d 3h+ Ending 5/13/2016 This item has been viewed 96989 times View Larger images

In an interview with the Orlando, Florida television station WOFL, Zimmerman revealed he was auctioning the weapon because he was "a free American" and could do whatever he likes with his possessions. Meanwhile, the Trayvon Martin Foundation issued a statement to the press, saying the nonprofit organization "has no comment on the actions of that person." On May 12th, the auction page was removed. That day, several posts about the auction reached the front page of the /r/nottheonion[126] and /r/news[127] subreddits.



Search Interest

External References

[1] Christian Science Monitor – Trayvon Martin Case: Is Hoodie a Symbol of Menace or Desire for Justice?

[2] Current – We Are Trayvon Martin

[3] Entertainment Weekly – Geraldo Rivera on Trayvon Martin Hoodie

[4] Camera + – Lebron James' Tweet

[5] Twitter – Search Results for Hoodies

[6] Twitter – We Are Trayvon Martin

[7] Facebook – Justice For Trayvon Martin

[8] Change.org – Prosecute the killer of our son, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin

[9] ABC News – Interest in Trayvon Martin Shooting Spurred By Celebrity Tweets and Petition

[10] LA Times – Trayvon Martin case gives Change.org a boost -- and vice versa

[11] the Daily Beast – Trayvon Martin Killing Inspires 13 Tweets From Celebrities

[12] Twitter – @AndersonCooper

[13] Twitter – @SpikeLee

[14] Twitter – #MMFlint

[15] Twitter – @NancyGraceHLN

[16] Twitter – Search results for #TrayvonMartin

[17] Fox News Latino – Geraldo Rivera: Trayvon Martin Would Be Alive but for His Hoodie

[18] Twitter – @GeraldoRivera

[19] Tumblr – Geraldo in a Hoodie

[20] Buzzfeed – FOX News Irresponsibly Selling Dangerous Hoodies

[21] Mediaite – Did A Hooded Sweatshirt Mysteriously Vanish From Fox News’ Online Store?

[22] Mediaite – Colbert: Hoodies Make One Look Like A Criminal Like Suit & Glasses Make Geraldo Look Like A Journalist

[23] Politico – Geraldo Rivera apologizes for ‘hoodie’ comment

[24] Daniel Maree's Blog – In Florida They Shoot Negroes

[25] YouTube – A Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin

[26] Facebook – A Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin – NYC

[27] Twitter – Search results for #MillionHoodies

[28] E! Online – Celebs Fire Back at Geraldo’s Hoodie Comments Via Twitter

[29] Twitter – @iamdiddy

[30] Twitter – Search results for "fuck you geraldo"

[31] Twitter – @azizansari

[32] Twitter – @Nelly_Mo

[33] Twitter – @Baratunde

[34] Twitter – @MikeTyson

[35] USA Today – Thousands in Philly join Million Hoodie March

[36] LA Weekly – Million Hoodie March For Trayvon Martin Today in Los Angeles

[37] Iowa City Press Citizen – Hundreds flood ped mall for Million Hoodie March

[38] Tumblr – I Could Be Trayvon

[39] YouTube – Plies – We Are Trayvon (Trayvon Martin Tribute)

[40] MTV – Plies Releases 'We Are Trayvon Martin' Tribute Track

[41] The Huffington Post – Trayvon Martin 'Million Hoodie March' March Draws Hundreds In New York City

[42] The Daily Beast – Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin in New York City (Photos)

[43] TIME – “Million Hoodie March” in New York Rallies Support for Trayvon Martin

[44] Sodahead – Will Smith on The Trayvon Martin Case in Florida USA

[45] E! Online – Yikes! Kim Kardashian Flour-Bombed on Red Carpet

[46] TMZ – Kim Kardashian Assaulted with White Powder

[47] Celebuzz! – Celebs React to Trayvon Martin Tragedy: Get In On the Conversation!

[48] Hollywood Reporter – Fake Will Smith Tweet Comparing Trayvon Martin's Killing and Kim Kardashian's Flour Bombing Goes Viral

[49] Today Show – Fake Will Smith tweet about Trayvon Martin, Kim Kardashian goes viral

[50] Us Weekly – Trayvon Martin: Stars Rally for Justice for Slain 17-Year-Old

[51] Storify – Trayvon Martin and Kim Kardashian: A Twitter Meme

[52] Hollywood Reporter – Will Ferrell Fake Twitter Account Uses Trayvon Martin to Gain Followers

[53] Twitter – @ReaiWiiiSmith

[54] ABC News – Trayvon Martin Case: Timeline of Events

[55] Mother Jones – The Trayvon Martin Killing, Explained

[56] NBC New York – NY Lawmakers Wear Hoodies in Honor of Fla. Teen

[57] HU Reaction – Howard University Trayvon Martin "Am I Suspicious?" Campaign Video

[58] Tumblr – I Am Trayvon Martin

[59] MSN Now – Will Smith did not send that popular Trayvon Martin tweet

[60] Twitter –

[61] ABC News – Spike Lee Incorrectly Tweets Address of George Zimmerman

[62] Twitter – @MACCAPONE's apology

[63] Twitter – @SpikeLee's apology

[64] Twitter – The Twitter Rules

[65] The Smoking Gun – Elderly Couple In Fear Over Spike Lee Tweet

[66] CBS News – Spike Lee retweets incorrect address of George Zimmerman, violates Twitter rules

[67] Wall Street Journal – Spike Lee Apologizes for Re-Tweeting Wrong Address for Alleged Killer of Trayvon Martin

[68] Washington Post – Spike Lee apologizes to elderly couple for incorrect tweet, but what if it were correct?

[69] International Business Times – Spike Lee Twitter Gaffe Forces Elderly Couple Out Of Home, Did Not Do The Right Thing

[70] ABC News – George Zimmerman on Police Surveillance

[71] CNN – Zimmerman in handcuffs night of shooting

[72] Reddit – Zimmerman (shooter of Treyvon martin) on police video. No cuts to the back of head, no visible bruises, no bloody nose.

[73] My Fox Tampa Bay – Witness: Martin attacked Zimmerman

[74] Imgur – Stills from the video

[75] Reddit – itsaheadlumpyouninny's comment linking to the gallery

[76] The Daily Dot – Trayvon Martin killer's story of self defense in question

[77] Gawker – White Supremacist Hacks Trayvon Martin’s Email Account, Leaks Messages Online

[78] Huffington Post – Trayvon Martin's Email And Facebook Accounts Allegedly Hacked By White Supremacist

[79] New York Magazine – White Supremacist Claims to Have Hacked Trayvon Martin’s Email, Social Media Accounts

[80] Miami New Times – Trayvon Martin's Email and Twitter Reportedly Hacked By White Supremacist

[81] Journalism.org – How Blogs, Twitter, and Mainstream Media Have Handled the Trayvon Martin Case

[82] Clutch Magazine – Trayvoning, This Trend Has to Stop

[83] Daily Dot – Trayvoning – The Most disturbing new meme to sweep through Tumblr

[84] Tumblr – Search Results for Trayvoning

[85] Facebook – Trayvoning

[86] NPR – George Zimmerman's Murder Trial Begins In Florida

[89] USA Today – Zimmerman case divides those already decided: Opinionline

[90] FARK – Zimmerman defense lawyer apologizes to jury for telling knock-knock joke about them in his opening statement, asks them if they've heard the one about Trayvon Martin's favorite flavor of Skittles

[91] 4chan – /pol/

[92] Twitter – @matthewkeyslive: Pranksters appear to be interrupting the Skype interview of a witness during the Zimmerman trial

[93] The Smoking Gun – Hilarious Skype Bombing Brings Halt To Witness Testimony In George Zimmerman Trial

[94] The Daily Dot – 4chan is crashing the George Zimmerman trial

[95] Reddit – George Zimmerman found NOT GUILTY

[96] Fox News – Zimmerman not guilty verdict

[97] Reddit – Iama close relative of George Zimmerman. I was with George directly before the shooting, and with his wife when he called and told us what had happened. AMA

[98] Reddit – Black_Metal's comment

[99] Reuters – Thousands protest Zimmerman verdict across U.S

[100] Gawker – Stevie Wonder Boycotts Florida in Aftermath of Zimmerman Verdict

[101] Tumblr – We Are Not Trayvon Martin

[102] Facebook – Bob Seay – I am not Trayvon Martin

[103] Gawker – “We Are Not Trayvon Martin” Campaign Turns Protest Meme on Its Head

[104] The Daily Dot – "We Are Not Trayvon Martin" is Tumblr's new anti-discrimination movement

[105] Mashable – 'We Are Not Trayvon Martin' Tumblr Opens Dialogue on White Privilege

[106] Color Lines – ‘We Are Not Trayvon Martin’ Tumblr Explores White Privilege

[107] Galleycat – George Zimmerman Trial Juror To Write Book

[108] CNN Justice – Juror: 'No doubt' that George Zimmerman feared for his life

[109] Gawker – George Zimmerman Juror B37 Hates Media, Called Trayvon “Boy of Color”

[110] Change.org – Sharlene Martin: Drop Juror B37 from Martin Literary Management

[111] Storify – How #JurorB37 Was Dropped From Martin Literary Management

[112] Twitter – @sharlenemartin: After careful consideration of the book project with Zimmerman #JurorB37, I have decided to rescind my offer of representation.

[113] Twitter – @sharlenemartin: A statement from #JurorB37.

[114] Gawker – Because Mere Blackface Wasn't Offensive Enough For These Partiers

[115] The Smoking Gun – Meet The Florida Men Who Got Dressed Up As George Zimmerman And Trayvon Martin For Halloween

[116] TMZ – Boxing Match Set!!! He Will Fight DMX

[117] TMZ – I'll Piss on George Zimmerman's Face

[118] TIME – "DMX to Fight George Zimmerman in Celebrity Boxing Match"George Zimmerman and DMX to Fight in Celebrity Boxing Match":newsfeed.time.com/2014/02/05/dmx-to-fight-george-zimmerman-in-celebrity-boxing-match/

[119] We The People – Stop George Zimmerman and Promoter Damon Feldman from using murder & racial hate in America for Profit

[120] Twitter – Search results for Zimmerman

[121] Twitter – Zimmerman's Tweet

[122] New York Daily News – George Zimmerman goes on depraved Twitter rant after retweeting picture of Trayvon Martin's corpse

[123] Complex – Professional Imbecile George Zimmerman Retweets Graphic Photo of Trayvon Martin's Dead Body

[124] Perez Hilton – Disgusting! George Zimmerman Allegedly Retweeted A Photo Of Trayvon Martin's Dead Body!

[125] Gunbroker – George Zimmerman Gun Auction Page

[126] Reddit – George Zimmerman Says Hes Auctioning Gun

[127] Reddit – Travyon Martin gun

All Videos 18 total


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Top Comments

Emper0rH0rde
Emper0rH0rde

This case has nothing to do with race. Do you know why Zimmerman joined the neighborhood watch in the first place? It was because a black family in his neighborhood had their homes broken into. Also, there was a case where the son of a white cop killed a black homeless man, guess who advocated for justice for the homeless man? George Zimmerman.

Up yours, mainstream media and race-baiting hypocrites.

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