George Zimmerman found not guilty in shooting death of Trayvon Martin

A Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman on Saturday night in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, which touched off an intense national debate about race, guns and self-defense.

The verdict was returned by a jury of six women who worked into the night on their second day of deliberations. They also had the option of convicting Zimmerman of second-degree murder or of the lesser crime of manslaughter.
Zimmerman was expressionless as the verdict was read, then turned to shake the hand of one of his lawyers. In the courtroom, his family held hands across a row and cried.
“I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful,” defense attorney Don West said. “As happy as I am for George Zimmerman, I’m thrilled that this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty. For that, we are eternally grateful.”

Outside court, some supporters of Martin’s family chanted, “The system failed us!”Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, said on Twitter he knew that his son was proud of the fight waged on his behalf.“Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered,” the father said.

Prosecutors said they were disappointed but accepted the decision. Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda told reporters that the case boiled down to a matter of “who was following who.”

“You had a 17-year-old kid who was minding his own business, wearing a hoodie, and gets accosted, gets followed by an individual who wants to be a cop,” he said.

A court spokeswoman, Michelle Kennedy, said that the jurors had “no desire to speak to media,” and she warned reporters that an order protecting their anonymity was still in effect.

George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom after the verdict.

Zimmerman, 29, who is of white and Hispanic descent, said he was acting in self-defense when he shot the unarmed Martin, who was black, during an altercation in a gated community of Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012.