ORLANDO, FL (via npr.org) May 12, 2016 – George Zimmerman, the man who was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, is selling his gun.
The 9 mm pistol is listed for sale on GunBroker.com, posted by user “GZ1776.” The auction will begin at 11 a.m. (EST) on May 12, 2016.
“The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012,” the listing states. It goes on to say the gun is fully functional and was returned to Zimmerman by the Department of Justice.
It concludes:
“I am proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds will be used to: fight [Black Lives Matter] violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Correy’s persecution career and Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric. Now is your opportunity to own a piece of American History. Good Luck. Your friend, George M. Zimmerman ~Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum~ ”
Angela Correy was the attorney leading the case against Zimmerman, who was charged with murder and manslaughter but was acquitted after he claimed self-defense. Si vis pacem para bellum is Latin for “If you want peace, prepare for war.”
Zimmerman spoke with Fox 35 Orlando, a local news station, and confirmed that he is auctioning off the gun he says was used to shoot and kill Martin.
He told the news station that he’s received death threats, both before and after posting the listing.
“What I’ve decided to do is not cower,” he told Fox 35 Orlando. “I’m a free American. I can do what I want with my possessions.”
The station also spoke with an attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, who said the Trayvon Martin Foundation is “laser focused” on ending gun violence and “has no comments on the actions of that person.”
The auction begins Thursday at 11 a.m., with a starting price of $5,000.
The site on which the gun listed, gunbroker.com, has made headlines in relation to the Trayvon Martin case before. In 2012, shooting targets showing a hooded figure holding Skittles and iced tea — the items Martin was carrying the night he died — were reportedly advertised on the website.