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George Zimmerman this week announced that he would be putting the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin in February 2012 up for auction. In the description of the item, Zimmerman called the Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm a "piece of American history." The bidding was set to start at $5,000, but before the auction could commence on Thursday, the listing was removed. Later in the day, another auction house picked it up. Zimmerman plans on using some of the proceeds to fight "Black Lives Matter violence against law enforcement officers."

Putting the gun up for auction was a bizarre and, some would say, deplorable move by a man who has failed to demonstrate any remorse for killing Martin, who was 17 at the time of his death. It was hardly surprising, though. Since being acquitted of murder charges in July of 2014, Zimmerman has found his name in the headlines for a variety of reasons, each seemingly stranger than the last.

February 26, 2012: Zimmerman kills Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, in Sanford, Florida. He would be charged with murder on April 11. Two days prior to being charged, Zimmerman launched a website to raise funds for his legal defense. Supporters donated over $200,000 before the site was shut down two weeks later. He is released on $150,000 bail on April 22.

July 13, 2013: Zimmerman is acquitted of all charges relating to Martin's death.

July 17: Days after being acquitted, Zimmerman rescues a family trapped in an overturned SUV in central Florida.

July 28: Zimmerman is pulled over for speeding in Texas. He is let off with a warning after telling the officer he has a firearm in the glove compartment. Dashcam footage captured the exchange.

August 19: Zimmerman is pulled over again, this time because the tint on his windows is too dark. According to TMZ, he got out of a ticket by citing the death threats he had been receiving.

August 22: Zimmerman shops for a tactical shotgun and poses for pictures in Cocoa, Florida. The gun he is looking at is made by the same manufacture of the handgun with which he killed Martin. Here is the shotgun in action:

September 3: Zimmerman is once again pulled over for speeding, this time in Lake Mary, Florida. He is issued a $265 ticket.

September 5: Zimmerman's wife Shellie files for divorce.

September 9: Shellie Zimmerman calls 911 after her soon-to-be-ex-husband punched her dad in the face and threatened to kill her family. "He is in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun and he keeps saying, 'Step closer.' He is just threatening all of us," she told the dispatcher.

Zimmerman is taken into custody, but no charges are filed.

November 18: Zimmerman is charged with aggravated assault after pointing a shotgun at his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe. Zimmerman allegedly broke a table with the shotgun before pointing it at Scheibe "for a minute." He is released a day later on $9,000 bail.

December 11: Scheibe recants her statement and all domestic violence charges against Zimmerman are dropped.

December 21: Zimmerman sells a piece of artwork on eBay for $100,099.99.

Januray 22, 2014: Zimmerman debuts a new piece of artwork, titled "Angie," featuring prosecutor Angela Corey. His brother proudly tweets an image of the new work.

February 5: After agreeing to participate in a celebrity boxing match, Zimmerman says he wants to fight rapper DMX. "DMX has promised to 'beat his ass,' but no contract or paperwork has been signed or agreed to yet," DMX's spokesman told CNN.

February 8: After a fight with DMX had been scheduled for March 15, promoter Damon Feldman announced that the bout had been canceled. "Zimmerman was the wrong person to have in this," Feldman told Rolling Stone. "I looked into the eyes of my son and daughter today and couldn't imagine someone killing them and getting off scot-free. It just really hurt. It was a tough decision because I could have made two million dollars here, but at least I have my dignity. I'm happy. Thank you."

February 16: Zimmerman says he is homeless, receiving death threats and suffering from PTSD in a televised interview with Univision.

March 8: Despite protests, Zimmerman appears at a gun show in Orlando, Florida, to sign autographs. The show was relocated from its original venue because of backlash.

June 30: A Florida judge throws out a lawsuit filed by Zimmerman against NBC. The defamation suit claimed that NBC edited a story on Trayvon Martin's death to make it seem like Zimmerman voluntarily told a 911 operator that Martin was black.

July 27: A police report states that Zimmerman is working as a security guard at a gun and motorcycle store in DeLand, Florida. It was later discovered that Zimmerman was not employed by the store; he was only "patrolling" the area as a favor to the owner because of a recent burglary.

September 2: Zimmerman allegedly threatened to kill a man in a road rage incident in Lake Mary, Florida. Not only that, but he later showed up at the man's workplace. According to local police, Zimmerman pulled up next to the man in his truck and yelled, "Why are you pointing a finger at me?" After the man pulled into a gas station to call 911, he realized the truck driver was Zimmerman, who, gun in hand, allegedly said, "Do you know who I am?" and threatening to kill him. The man saw Zimmerman outside his workplace two days later. As always seems to be the case when Zimmerman gets into trouble, no charges were pressed.

October 1: Citing insufficient evidence, officials say federal charges are not likely to be brought against Zimmerman for the death of Trayvon Martin.

January 9, 2015: Zimmerman is arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon after allegedly throwing a wine bottle at his girlfriend. Once again, charges will not be filed.

February 24: The Justice Department officially closes its investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin.

March 24: In an interview posted online by his lawyer, Zimmerman criticizes Obama's response to Trayvon Martin's death, referring to the president as "Barack Hussein Obama."

Unfortunately after even after Jay Carney, his press secretary stated in the White House briefing that the White House will not interject in a local law enforcement matter and at most a state criminal matter, President Obama held his Rose Garden speech stating if I had a son he would look like Trayvon. To me that was clearly a dereliction of duty pitting Americans against each other solely based on race. He took what should have been a clear-cut self-defense matter and still to this day on the anniversary of incident he held a ceremony at the White House inviting the Martin-Fulton family and stating that they should take the day to reflect upon the fact that all children's lives matter. Unfortunately for the president I'm also my parent's child and my life matters as well. And for him to make incendiary comments as he did and direct the Department of Justice to pursue a baseless prosecution he by far overstretched, overreached, even broke the law in certain aspects to where you have an innocent American being prosecuted by the federal government which should never happen.

May 16: A man is charged with firing shots into Zimmerman's truck in Lake Mary, Florida.

August 18: Zimmerman unveils a new piece of artwork featuring the confederate flag to benefit a Muslim-free gun shop in Florida.

September 28: Zimmerman goes on a Twitter rant after retweeting a picture of Trayvon Martin's corpse. "Gee..I sure hate offending people that have plotted and tried to kill me and my family...," he wrote in one tweet. His account has since been suspended.

January 6, 2016: Zimmerman criticizes President Obama for crying while discussing mass shootings, calling him a "disgrace to the country" and "a piece of garbage."

January 23: Zimmerman's divorce is finalized.

May 12: Zimmerman attempts to sell the gun he shot Trayvon Martin with at auction. The listing is removed shortly after it is posted, after which another auction house picked it up.

A previous version of this article mispelled the name of the town in which Trayvon Martin was killed.

Read more:
A Timeline of George Zimmerman's Post-Trayvon Life

June 24, 2013— -- The shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and the investigation leading up to the murder trial has spanned 16 months and many legal bombshells.

Here is a recap of how the case has unfolded:

Feb. 26, 2012 At about 7:17 pm George Zimmerman shoots Trayvon Martin as the 17-year-old is walking back from a convenience store in Sanford, Fla., Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, had called 911 about the "suspicious teen" and allegedly followed him. He immediately told police he shot Martin in self-defense after a scuffle. He is taken into custody but released that night. No charges are filed.

March 8, 2012 - Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, the teenager's parents, create a Change.org petition calling for Zimmerman's arrest. Within 10 days it would have 200,000 signatures, and would swell at the pace of about 10,000 signatures an hour for several days.

March 9: Two weeks after Martin was killed, Trayvon Martin's family attorney Benjamin Crump demands that police release the 911 tapes or make an arrest. Police declined to comment at the time, but told ABC News the tapes would be released the following week.

March 13: Sanford Police Chief Billy Lee said there is no evidence to dispute Zimmerman's assertion that he shot Martin in self defense. That same day the lead investigator on the case Chris Serino files an affidavit recommending Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter.

March 16: Martin's family first hears 911 calls made the night of the shooting. The cries for help send the boy's mother screaming from the room and prompted his father to declare, "He killed my son," a family representative tells ABC News. In a letter a day earlier Zimmerman's father insists it was George's voice crying for help. Tracy Martin's account is later disputed, when a police officer quotes Martin as saying the voice crying out was not his son.

March 19: The U.S. Justice Department announces it will investigate Martin's death.

March 22, 2012 State Attorney Norm Wolfinger recuses himself from the case, does not provide an explanation. Sanford police chief Bill Lee announces he will resign "temporarily." Rallies calling for George Zimmerman's arrest start taking place across the nation.

March 23, 2012 - President Obama comments on the case, saying he thinks the shooting should be investigated and telling reporters: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott appoints state attorney Angela Corey as a special prosecutor to look into the case. He also creates a task force to look into the state's "stand your ground" self-defense law.

March 26, 2012 - Martin's family confirms that Martin had been in Sanford visiting his father because he was suspended from school after school officers found a plastic bag containing traces of marijuana in his backpack.

March 28, 2012 ABC News obtains surveillance video from the Sanford Police station showing George Zimmerman in police custody and without significant visible injuries approximately an hour after the shooting is released. Later, enhanced video show marks to his head and a swollen nose.

April 3, 2012 - The FBI announces it has opened its own investigation into the Martin shooting.

April 9, 2012 - Zimmerman launches TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com, replete with a paypal account for donations for his legal fund.

April 10, 2012 In a bizarre press conference, Zimmerman's attorneys, Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner, announce they have lost contact with their client and no longer represent him.

April 11, 2012 - Special prosecutor Angela Corey announces that Zimmerman is being charged with second-degree murder in the shooting and that he is in police custody. Mark O'Mara, an Orlando defense attorney is retained.

April 20, 2012 ABC News obtains a photo of Zimmerman taken moments after the shooting. The photo shows Zimmerman with a bloodied head. His lawyers allude to the photo during his bail hearing later that morning. Judge Kenneth Lester grants Zimmerman $150,000 bail provided he wear electronic monitoring devices.

April 29, 2012 Zimmerman's attorney creates a website called GZlegalcase.com promising to continuously update the site with content. A donation tab is also placed on the site

June 1, 2012 Zimmerman's bond is revoked after the state provides evidence indicating that he and his wife were speaking in code concerning their finances. Zimmerman claimed during his bail hearing that he was financially indigent. However, it was revealed that he knew that he had at least $135,000 in his bank account after receiving donations from supporters online.

June 3, 2012 - Zimmerman wearing a bullet proof vest is booked back behind bars

June 12, 2012 Shellie Zimmerman is arrested and charged with one count of perjury for lying under oath about the state of her finances during her husband's initial bail hearing.

June 21, 2012 A trove of information including video re-enactments are released on GZlegalcase.com showing relatively consistent statements provided to police by Zimmerman in the initial days after the shooting. Among them: "He took my head and slammed it against the concrete several times, and each time I thought my head was going to explode."

July 5, 2012 Judge Kenneth Lester once again gives Zimmerman bond. But this time he sets the amount at $1 million.

July 13, 2012 Zimmerman legal team files a motion to disqualify Judge Lester from the case.

Aug. 30, 2012 Following the ruling of the 5th District Court of Appeal, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester disqualifies himself from the bench and is replaced by Judge Debra Nelson

April 30, 2013 Zimmerman waives a hearing under the states "Stand Your Ground" Law. This means the state will not see the defense presentation of its evidence until the trial.

May 23, 2013 Zimmerman defense releases new photos taken from Trayvon Martin cell phone including a picture of what appears to be a marijuana plant and gun. The controversial images are met with outrage by the Martin family and others who claim they are meant to tarnish the reputation of Martin and are irrelevant to the case.

June 20, 2013 Both sides agreed on an all-women jury plus four alternates.

See more here:
Timeline of the George Zimmerman Murder Trial - ABC News

For the six Florida jurors who decided the fate of George Zimmerman, four minutes likely proved crucial. Saturday night, after hours of deliberation, a jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman claimed he shot the unarmed teen in self-defense following a confrontation in Sanford, Fla., in February of 2012.

During those four minutes the 29-year-old Zimmerman claimed he was attacked by the teenager and brutally beaten before he reached for his concealed nine-millimeter handgun and shot Martin in the chest in order to save his own life.

Zimmerman's defense attorney Mark O'Mara set aside four minutes of his closing remarks during which the jurors heard only silence. While prosecutors claimed that Zimmerman spent that four minutes stalking Martin, Zimmerman claimed he followed a police dispatcher's advice to abandon pursuit and headed back to his car when Martin attacked him.

Prosecutors sought to sow doubt in jurors' minds about Zimmerman's honesty, pointing to inconsistencies in his story they claimed were designed to concoct a narrative of self-defense Zimmerman allegedly knew would be necessary to prove his innocence. But even if the jury did not trust Zimmerman, the burden of proof was on the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his story was untrue. The defense needed only to sow enough doubt for an acquittal, not prove that everything Zimmerman said was accurate or honest. The defense didn't have to prove that Zimmerman was a good person or model citizenor even that he was telling the truth about what happenedthey only needed to prevent the state from ensuring that the jurors felt certain beyond a reasonable doubt about what happened during that four minutes.

Removing reasonable doubt was what the prosecution believed the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, who was speaking to Martin on the phone before his encounter with Zimmerman, would do. Jeantel testified that Martin was frightened because he was being followed, and that she heard Martin ask someone why that person was following him, before shouting "get off." After that, Jeantel said, the call went dead.

There were prior inconsistencies in her account regarding her age, and whether she had attended a wake for Martin, leading observers to speculate on whether the jury would find Jeantel believable. Given the jury's verdict, it seems likely that they did not, or that even if they did, it was insufficient to account for those four minutes during which only two people truly know what happened.

Only one of them is still alive.

See the article here:
Why George Zimmerman was acquitted - MSNBC.com

In July 2013, a jury acquitted George Zimmerman of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of unarmed black man Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Martin and Zimmerman crossed paths in a gated community in South Florida, where George worked as a crime-watch volunteer. Against the advice of a 911 operator, George followed Trayvon into the compound because he looked suspicious.

An altercation between Trayvon and George ensued in which Zimmerman fatally shot the 17-year-old. Zimmermans acquittal sparked outrage across the country and partially contributed to the start of the Black Lives Matter movement.

George Zimmerman cant outrun the Trayvon Martin shooting simply because he doesnt want to. Zimmerman claims that the media wont let him live a normal life, yet hes the one that keeps resurrecting the case. George toldThe Daily Beast:

If I have to live my life and if I have to go about my business as a normal person, then I would do that. However, Im not afforded that luxury anymore. You guys. The media. The masses. The Fulton-Martin family. They took that from me.

In a canceled November 2021 gathering dubbed the Lethal Force Gun Laws 2021 Tactics & Strategies Conference, Zimmerman was due to give a step-by-step narrative of the events that led to Trayvons shooting.

The organizers had booked The Riverside Hotel in Boise for a weekend, but the hotelier canceled the event after learning that George would speak. A statement by the Garden City hotels ownership group said:

We recognize the immense pain that George Zimmerman has inflicted on many of our guests, team-members and community. With their respect and safety as our priority, we have canceled the event. We are unequivocally opposed to providing George Zimmerman a platform and he is not welcome at The Riverside Hotel.

George seems intent on earning from the infamous case. In December 2019, he filed a $100 million suit against Trayvons family, their lawyer, and prosecutors. He demanded payment for malicious prosecution by prosecutors and defamation by Trayvons family and their attorney, Benjamin Crump.

I have every confidence that this unfounded and reckless lawsuit will be revealed for what it is, another failed attempt the defend the indefensible and a shameless attempt to profit off the lives and grief of others,said a statement by Crump.

In February 2020, George filed a suit against politicians Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren for allegedly defaming him on Twitter. Pete and Warren tweeted against gun violence, but they didnt mention Zimmerman by name.

Nevertheless, George claimed that the duo defamed him because the name George Zimmerman is 100% synonymous with the incident that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin. In this case, Zimmerman asked the court to grant $265 million in damages.

Zimmerman tried to adopt a private life in the months after his acquittal. However, a domestic violence accusation by his girlfriend brought him back to the limelight.

A public altercation with a motorist a year later gave George Zimmerman another spell in the headlines. George welcomed the attention as it gave him a platform to auction American flag paintings on eBay.

He tried to remain relevant by insulting President Obama and retweeting photos of Trayvons dead body. Zimmerman then marketed his gun as an American Firearm icon as a symbol of American patriotism.

The firearm sold for $138,900 to an anonymous buyer. Zimmermans actions attracted criticism, but he defended himself by blaming Trayvons parents for alleged poor parenting. George toldThe Daily Beast:

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin did everything they could to capitalize on her sons death. She was never a mother figure to him. Tracy Martin couldnt have cared less about their son. He treated him like a dog without a leash.

Zimmerman alleged that he prayed on the matter before deciding to auction the gun. Leonard Pitts of theMiami Heraldviewed Georges actions as extremely distasteful:

The marketing of the gun that killed him by the man who pulled the trigger does not feel like simply another example of flagrantly bad taste. No, it feels like a victory lap on a dead boys grave. So when this thing is sold it really wont matter who writes the check. We all will pay the price.

To Zimmerman, the worst thing to come out of Trayvons shooting was the Black Lives Matter movement. He believes that the actual victims arent Black people but the men and women in blue.

George said hed be willing to make any officer combating BLM protests richer than they ever dreamed of being. He added:

I would take that money and I would make sure that every law enforcement officer and every single civilian who is affected by the Black Lives Matter fraudulent, violent campaign those officers, those civilians, their entire families were made wealthy beyond their wildest imaginations.

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Where is George Zimmerman now in 2022? He remains ... - TheNetline

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - With the arrest of George Zimmerman, some some of the confusing aspects of the are starting to come into sharper focus. With charges, the legal system begins or organize what happens next, but as that happens, it's important to understand what got George Zimmerman and prosecutors to this point.

With the help of the Associated Press, here's a look at the basics of the case, along with answers to some frequently asked questions.

Second-degree murder means a killing that was not premeditated but resulted instead from an "imminently dangerous act" that showed a "depraved" lack of regard for human life.

THE PROSECUTOR'S CHALLENGE:

Under Florida's "stand your ground" law, which gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight, Corey must first prove to a judge that Zimmerman wasn't defending himself when he killed Trayvon Martin. Only then can she take the case to a jury, in front of which she will face a high legal burden to prove that the killing wasn't in self-defense.

--Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, of Zimmerman: "The question I would really like to ask him is, if he could look into Trayvon's eyes and see how innocent he was, would he have then pulled the trigger? Or would he have just let him go on home?"

--Zimmerman's new lawyer, Mark O'Mara: "He is troubled by everything that has happened. I cannot imagine living in George Zimmerman's shoes for the past number of weeks. Because he has been at the focus of a lot of anger, and maybe confusion and maybe some hatred and that has to be difficult. ... I'm expecting a lot of work and hopefully justice in the end."

--O'Mara on Zimmerman: "I'm not concerned about his mental well-being."

--Special prosecutor Angela Corey: "We do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition."

--Stacy Davis, who is black, reacting to Zimmerman's arrest: "It's not a black or white thing for me. It's a right or wrong thing. He needed to be arrested. I'm happy because maybe that boy (Martin) can get some rest."

--George Zimmerman to a 911 dispatcher the night of the shooting: "This guy looks like he is up to no good -- he is on drugs or something."

--President Barack Obama, earlier in the case: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."

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Q: WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG FOR ZIMMERMAN TO BE ARRESTED?

A: Special prosecutor Angela Corey says that probable cause had to be determined before authorities could arrest Zimmerman. She said there was only a slight delay, when she took it over from the previous prosecutor, who recused himself from the case.

Zimmerman told police he acted in self-defense after Martin pursued and attacked him. Florida is among 21 states with the "stand your ground law," which allows police on the scene to decide whether they believe the self-defense claim.

In many cases, the officers make an arrest and leave it to the courts to work out whether the deadly force is justified. In this case, however, police have said they are confident they did the right thing by not charging Zimmerman.

Q: ON WHAT EVIDENCE IS THE PROSECUTOR BASING THE CHARGE OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER?

A: Corey did not disclose how she arrived at the charge, saying that was information to be revealed in court.

Q: WHAT'S NEXT?

A: Zimmerman will appear in court within 24 hours, Corey said.

Q: DOES ZIMMERMAN HAVE LEGAL COUNSEL?

A: Yes, Mark O'Mara of Orlando, who became Zimmerman's new attorney after his former lawyers announced Tuesday that they were dropping the case. They said they couldn't keep representing Zimmerman because he had stopped communicating with them.

Q: HOW WILL ZIMMERMAN PLEAD?

A: Not guilty, O'Mara says.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED?

A: Martin, 17, was shot and killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest Feb. 26 during a confrontation with Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer in a gated community of townhomes in Sanford, Fla., about 20 miles northeast of Orlando.

Zimmerman was driving through the neighborhood when he spotted Martin, who was unarmed and walking to the home of his father's fiancee. She lived in the same gated community as Zimmerman.

Martin was returning from a trip to the convenience store with an iced tea and a bag of Skittles. It was raining, and Martin was walking with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. He talked to his girlfriend on a cellphone moments before the shooting, according to Martin's family's attorney.

Q: WHAT IS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S SIDE OF THE STORY?

A: On his website, therealgeorgezimmerman.com, Zimmerman has described the shooting as "a life altering event" but he says he can't go into details about what happened.

"As a result of the incident and subsequent media coverage, I have been forced to leave my home, my school, my employer, my family and ultimately, my entire life," he said on the site.

Zimmerman told police he spotted Martin as he was driving through his neighborhood and called 911 to report a suspicious person.

He said the teen had his hand in his waistband and was walking around looking at homes.

There had been several break-ins in the community in the past year, including one in which burglars took a TV and laptops.

A dispatcher told Zimmerman he didn't need to follow Martin after Zimmerman got out of his truck and started pursuing the teen.

Zimmerman told police he lost sight of the teenager and was walking back to his vehicle when he was attacked. He and Martin fought, according to witnesses. Zimmerman said Martin punched him in the nose and slammed his head against the ground.

At some point, Zimmerman pulled a gun and shot Martin.

Police said Zimmerman was bleeding from his nose and the back of his head. He told police he had yelled out for help before he shot Martin.

Q: WHAT IS THE MARTIN FAMILY'S SIDE OF THE STORY?

A: Much of Martin's side of the story comes from a cellphone conversation he had with his girlfriend moments before the shooting. She was interviewed by the family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, and he released much of what she said to the news media. She has not been identified.

In the interview, she said Trayvon Martin told her that he was being followed.

"She says: `Run.' He says, `I'm not going to run, I'm just going to walk fast,"' Crump said, quoting the girl.

The girl later heard Martin say, "Why are you following me?" Another man asked, "What are you doing around here?" Crump said.

After Martin encountered Zimmerman, the girl thinks she heard a scuffle "because his voice changes like something interrupted his speech," Crump said. The phone call ended before the girl heard any gunshots.

Martin's parents said their son made the pleas for help that witnesses heard.

Q: WHAT IS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND?

A: Zimmerman's father is white, and his mother is Hispanic of Peruvian descent.

Q: WHERE IS GEORGE ZIMMERMAN?

A: Zimmerman is in jail in Sanford.

Excerpt from:
Fast Facts: The Zimmerman Case - CBS Miami - CBS News