This Day in History: Trayvon Martin Is Shot and Killed February 26, 2012 Walking home from a convenient store in Sanford, FL, 17-year-old Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.
After reporting Martin as suspicious, Zimmerman had followed the unarmed teenager, despite police dispatch advice to stop.
After the shooting, Zimmerman, who claimed to have acted in self- defense during a physical altercation, was questioned but not arrested by arriving police.
Martin had no criminal record and 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.