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Zimmerman Shooting

March 21, 2012 by · Comments Off on Zimmerman Shooting 

Zimmerman Shooting, Outrage over the killing of an unarmed Florida teen rippled nationwide as supporters planned more protests Wednesday and a petition demanding the shooter’s arrest amassed nearly 1 million signatures.

Trayvon Martin was fatally shot on February 26 while walking to the house of his father’s fiancee in Sanford after a trip to a convenience store.

George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader, said he killed the teen in self defense.

Nearly 750,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org demanding Zimmerman’s arrest, making it one of the website’s largest campaigns.

On Wednesday, supporters will gather in New York City for a “Million Hoodie March,” a reference to the attire the 17-year-old was wearing when he was shot.

“A black person in a hoodie isn’t automatically suspicious. Let’s put an end to racial profiling,” the protest page said.

Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged in the killing of the black teenager. A police report describes him as a white male, but his family says he is Hispanic.

The February 26 shooting occurred when Zimmerman — who was patrolling the neighborhood — saw the teen walking home after buying candy and a drink at a convenience store.

Zimmerman called 911 and reported what he described as a suspicious person. A few moments later, several neighbors called the emergency number to report a commotion outside.

There has been a heated debate and questions over whether Zimmerman used a racial slur during the 911 call released this week.

“We didn’t hear it, however, I am not sure what was said. So I never said we missed a racist remark,” said Sgt. David Morgenstern of the Sanford Police Department.

While some neighbors were still on the phone with the emergency dispatchers, cries for help followed by a gunshot sounded in the background.

“The time that we heard the whining and then the gunshot, we did not hear any wrestling, no punching, no fighting, nothing to make it sound like there was a fight,” said Mary Cutcher, one of the callers.

Cutcher told CNN’s “AC360” on Tuesday night that Zimmerman was confused after the shooting.

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