US: Trayvon Martin gun is up for auction

[webfact]

Trayvon Martin gun is up for auction
By Catherine Hardy | With REUTERS



The gun used to shoot dead unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin is to be auctioned by the man who shot him, George Zimmerman.

The neighbourhood watch officer was cleared of of the 17-year-old’s death in February 2012. He claimed it was self-defence.

The shooting led to protests in several cities in the US and to the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-05-13

[webfact]

2nd website posts auction for gun that killed Trayvon Martin
By FREIDA FRISARO

MIAMI (AP) — An online gun auction website yanked George Zimmerman's ad to sell the pistol he used to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, saying it wanted no part in the deal, but a second site offered to post it.

A listing for the weapon was removed from the GunBroker.com site Thursday morning, minutes after the auction was to begin, as negative traffic about the sale exploded online. In a statement posted on its website, GunBroker.com said listings are user generated, and that the company reserved the right to reject listings at its discretion.

Zimmerman never contacted anyone at the site and no one there "has any relationship with Zimmerman," the company wrote in its statement.

It added, "We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving."

Hours later, United Gun Group tweeted that it would post Zimmerman's ad. The new link was posted, along with a statement from Zimmerman. However, the site apparently went down a few minutes later. The site calls itself a "social market place for the firearms community."

Critics called the planned auction an insensitive move to profit from the slaying.

Zimmerman had told Orlando, Florida, TV station WOFL that the pistol was returned to him by the U.S. Justice Department, which took it after he was acquitted in Martin's 2012 shooting death.

The auction for the 9 mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol was to begin at 11 a.m. EDT Thursday and end 24 hours later.

Zimmerman's listing said a portion of the proceeds would go toward fighting what Zimmerman calls violence by the Black Lives Matter movement against law enforcement officers, combatting anti-gun rhetoric of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and ending the career of state attorney Angela Corey, who led Zimmerman's prosecution.

The listing ended with a Latin phrase that translates as "if you want peace, prepare for war."

Zimmerman, now 32, has said he was defending himself when he killed Martin, 17, in a gated community near Orlando. Martin, who lived in Miami with his mother, was visiting his father at the time.

Zimmerman, who identifies as Hispanic, was acquitted in Martin's February 2012 shooting death. The case sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. The Justice Department later decided not to prosecute Zimmerman on civil rights charges

Lucy McBath, the mother of another black teenager shot by a white man during an argument at a Jacksonville convenience store in 2012, said the auction reflected a "deplorable lack of value for human life."

"I am deeply disappointed that the man who killed Trayvon Martin is trying to sell the very gun he used to cut that precious life short to raise money," McBath said in a written statement.

The slaying of her son, 17-year-old Jordan Davis, by Michael Dunn drew parallels at the time to the Zimmerman-Martin case. Dunn told police he had felt threatened by Davis. Unlike Zimmerman, Dunn was convicted of murder.

Since Zimmerman was acquitted, he has been charged with assault based on complaints from two girlfriends. Both women later refused to press charges and Zimmerman wasn't prosecuted. His estranged wife, Shellie Zimmerman, also accused him of smashing her iPad during an argument days after she filed divorce papers. No charges were filed because of lack of evidence. They were divorced in January.

Orlando-based attorney Mark O'Mara has previously represented Zimmerman. A receptionist in O'Mara's office said Thursday that he no longer represents Zimmerman and had no comment.

Martin's parents declined to address Zimmerman's actions in statements made through representatives.

Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said through an attorney that she would rather focus on her work with the Trayvon Martin Foundation than respond to "Zimmerman's actions."

Daryl Parks, whose firm represented the Martin family during the trial, is now chairman of Fulton's foundation. He says Fulton is pushing for policies that protect youth and address gun violence.

Fulton also founded the Circle of Mothers conference, a three-day event to help mothers who have "lost children or family members" to gun violence. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be keynote speaker at the event in Fort Lauderdale starting May 20.

In the auction listing, Zimmerman cited strong interest from collectors including "The Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC."

Smithsonian spokesman John Gibbons denied any interest.

"The Smithsonian has never expressed an interest in collecting this firearm and has no intention of collecting or displaying this firearm," Gibbons said.

___

Associated Press writers Curt Anderson in Miami, Jason Dearen in Gainesville, Florida, Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg and Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale contributed to this story.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-05-13

[pitrevie]

Sick

[Carib]

Some classy guy

[ezzra]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

[OMGImInPattaya]

This is beyond wierd...it's his private property so he can dispose of it as he wants but I would hope the major online action site would decline to host the sale.

[PremiumLane]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

Showing your intelligence again I see...

[Shot]

This is really sick. Why would anyone want to own a Kel-Tec?

[RuamRudy]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

It says a lot about you when you turn a story about the perpetrator of a racially motivated murder of a black child heaping further agonies on the dead boy's family into an attack on black people in general.

[colinneil]

Sick ba....d.

Why on earth would anyone want to own this gun?

Surely websites should block items like this from being sold.

[little mary sunshine]

Zimmerman is a waste of oxygen and food!!

Another Drunk!!

[jaidam]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

It says a lot about you when you turn a story about the perpetrator of a racially motivated murder of a black child heaping further agonies on the dead boy's family into an attack on black people in general.

quote "perpetrator of a racially motivated murder of a black child"

Not very relevant to this case, in which a black thug attempting to beat and steal from Mr.Zimmerman miscalculated the odds big time due to Mr.Zimmerman carrying at the time. Had the thug not been carrying out violent crime he would not have been shot and killed. Had the thug killed Mr. Zimmerman it would not even have made the news - black on white crime is not reported on, only white on black. Hooray for the legacy of Obamas 8 years and his PC totally out of control.

[Mrjlh]

Sale was taken down. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/05/12/george-zimmerman-auctions-gun-used-trayvon-martin-killing/84271998/

Edited May 13, 2016 by Mrjlh

[Inn Between]

He just wants another 15 minutes of fame. I guess he got a big rush from the first one. What a creep!

[RuamRudy]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

It says a lot about you when you turn a story about the perpetrator of a racially motivated murder of a black child heaping further agonies on the dead boy's family into an attack on black people in general.

quote "perpetrator of a racially motivated murder of a black child"

Not very relevant to this case, in which a black thug attempting to beat and steal from Mr.Zimmerman miscalculated the odds big time due to Mr.Zimmerman carrying at the time. Had the thug not been carrying out violent crime he would not have been shot and killed. Had the thug killed Mr. Zimmerman it would not even have made the news - black on white crime is not reported on, only white on black. Hooray for the legacy of Obamas 8 years and his PC totally out of control.

You have a very unique take on the incident. If it played out as you suggest, it was very rash of the boy to pick a fight with a man 20kg heavier and 10 years older. What about when Zimmerman pointed his gun at his girlfriend and started breaking her belongings, or when he threw a bottle of wine at another girlfriend - were both those ladies asking for it too?

[arunsakda]

What kind of creep would want to purchase such a thing, like Ghouls who purchase Nazi memorabilia?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Naam]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

Showing your intelligence again I see...

[F4UCorsair]

F*****g SICKO!!!

[DM07]

Zimmerman is essentially an oxygen- thief!

What a despicable "human" being!

[DM07]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

Wow!

Just wow!

"...the slavery issue"?

How about digging a hole, putting your head in and get someone to shovel the sand back?

Sicko!

[HerbalEd]

Has this dirt bag no shame? Now he wants to make a profit from his kiling.

[HerbalEd]

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

Yeah ... why should American blacks get so upset about hundreds-of-thousands of their ancestors being enslaved, whipped, hanged & murdered, families broken up, raped, etc. for two hundred years. They should just forget it, right?

[Thaidream]

There is way too much hatred and racism in the US. The sale of this gun is an example of a man who had his day in court and got lucky. Now he wants to push the envelope even further by antagonizing the community at large who saw this killing as an injustice. Mr Zimmerman set in motion a chain of events that ended in a young man losing his life. At any point in this scenario all Zimmerman had to do was wait for the police to come and investigate. Instead, he decided, against the advice of the police dispatcher, to follow the young man who at that time may have felt threatened and afraid. This could have all been avoided, just as so many recent violent events in the Thai media could have been avoided by walking away.

[arunsakda]

I see a certain way that Zimmerman is just another victim. Mind polluted with decades of right-wing rubbish, walking around with his god damned "property" (guns) as a "free American" , armed by the gun nuts of the NRA and their political lackeys.

He is a dangerous and violent man, look at his arrest history. Just like OJ Simpson, he "beat the system".

Unfortunately he will eventually kill again and his most likely victim will be an innocent woman. Guarantee this one will end up in prison for life, or on death row.

Edited May 13, 2016 by arunsakda

[Jingthing]

Really, nothing that sleazeball does surprises me. The only thing that does surprise me is how he's dodged prison for so long. He's headed there as sure as O.J. Simpson.

[Eagleizer]

This is just WRONG!

Cheers

[Jingthing]

Creeps of a feather.

Zimmerman with Cruz --

[NeverSure]

This is really sick. Why would anyone want to own a Kel-Tec?

At the time it was made, the Kel Tec PF9 was the smallest and lightest weight 9mm handgun available. 9mm is powerful - is the NATO official caliber - and the gun is very concealable. A lot of people wanted to own one, and I have one.

Cheers.

[Scott]

This is really sick. Why would anyone want to own a Kel-Tec?

At the time it was made, the Kel Tec PF9 was the smallest and lightest weight 9mm handgun available. 9mm is powerful - is the NATO official caliber - and the gun is very concealable. A lot of people wanted to own one, and I have one.

Cheers.

3417149493_1a6ae887f4_b.jpg

....and that is why I seldom disagree with you on the open forum!!

[Lopchan]

Zimmerman is a sick little man and obviously the purchaser would be equally sick only buying it for its history

...and then there is this...

Let the NAACP ( the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ) buy it, hang it in

their office and milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like the they do with the slavery issue.......

"milk the story behind it for the next 200 years like they do with the slavery issue....."

...much like a bunch of people "milking" something that happened in the 1930s-1940s for everything it's worth yet call everyone a racist or anti-them for calling them out on it? Ahh, hypocrisy at its finest there....