George Zimmerman is selling the gun he used to shoot and kill Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012.
Martin’s death sparked widespread outrage and unrest in the US. The 17-year-old Florida resident was on his way home from a convenience store when Zimmerman began chasing him, which ultimately led to a tussle in which Zimmerman shot Martin.
Zimmerman’s subsequent acquittal of murder charges helped fuel mass rallies against brute police force, and also became a talking point in the ongoing debate about racial injustice and the country’s firearm laws. President Barack Obama famously remarked that Martin “could have been me 35 years ago.”
A post on firearm auction site Gunbroker.com marked as “George Zimmerman’s PF-9 used on 2/26/12” lists a Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm gun as pending sale at 11am ET on May 12.
“Prospective bidders, I am honored and humbled to announce the sale of an American Firearm Icon. 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,” writes the seller in the product description blurb. He adds:
It has recently been returned to me by the Department of Justice. The pistol currently has the case number written on it in silver permanent marker. Many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm including The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. This is a piece of American History. It has been featured in several publications and in current University text books. Offers to purchase the Firearm have been received; however, the offers were to use the gun in a fashion I did not feel comfortable with. The firearm is fully functional as the attempts by the Department of Justice on behalf of B. Hussein Obama to render the firearm inoperable were thwarted by my phenomenal Defense Attorney. I recognize the purchaser’s ownership and right to do with the firearm as they wish. The purchaser is guaranteed validity and authenticity of the firearm.
Zimmerman also writes that he’s selling the gun to mark the one-year anniversary of his own attempted murder, allegedly by Matthew Apperson, a Black Lives Matter activist. He says that a portion of the proceeds will go to “fight BLM [Black Live Matter] violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Correy’s persecution career and Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric.”
Zimmerman confirmed the sale in an interview with a local Florida news channel. “I’m a free American. I can do what I want with my possessions,” he said.
The starting price for the weapon is set at $5,000.