Gun used to kill Trayvon Martin is sold
Zimmerman — who was acquitted over the 2012 killing — revealed on his blog that the sale had been successful, but did not give any details.
The website believed to be the venue for the auction, United Gun Group, tweeted that there had been two auctions running simultaneously, one for pre-qualified buyers and a “fake” one for the public.
Bids on the fake site went as high as $138,900 before it was deleted. Zimmerman’s offer to sell the Kel-Tec PF9 9mm handgun on UnitedGunGroup.com drew praise from gun rights enthusiasts and scorn from people who criticised him for seeking to profit from the fatal shooting.
Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the shooting, which sparked debates on race relations, gun control, and American justice and provided a catalyst for the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement.
United Gun Group defended holding the auction. “George Zimmerman has informed United Gun Group that he currently is in the process of vetting several offers and verifying funds,” the statement said.
Zimmerman said on his own website that the “process of notifying the winning bidder will begin immediately.”
“I would like to thank and give the glory to God for a successful auction that has raised funds for several worthy causes,” he wrote.
He previously said he would use money from the sale to counter violence against law enforcement officers by Black Lives Matter, and to fight presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s “anti-firearm rhetoric.”
