This Day in History: Trayvon Martin Is Shot and Killed (Sunday, Feb. 26)

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