History.com – On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, an African American teen walking home from a trip to a convenience store, is fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer patrolling the townhouse community of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman later claimed to have shot the unarmed 17-year-old out of self-defense during a physical altercation.
After police initially opted not to arrest Zimmerman, the case sparked protests and ignited national debates about racial profiling and self-defense laws. He was later charged with second-degree murder. Following a high-profile trial that riveted America, he was acquitted of the charges against him.
Learn more about the murder and its impact on the racial justice movement at History.com.
