The Florida man who shot and killed the black teenager Trayvon Martin in an incident that triggered nationwide civil rights protests will auction the gun he used on Thursday and use some of the proceeds to challenge presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's gun control policies, the auction website said.
The US Department of Justice recently returned to George Zimmerman the Kel Tec 9mm gun that he had used to kill Martin, an unarmed youth, on Feb. 26, 2012, according to Gunbroker.com, the website where the weapon is being auctioned.
Zimmerman described the weapon as "a piece of American history," according to the website.
The one-day auction is scheduled to begin at 11 am EST (1500 GMT) on Thursday, with bidding starting at $5,000.
The Trayvon Martin Foundation "has no comment on the actions of that person that murdered Trayvon," Martin's father, Tracy Martin, said in a statement.
Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood watch volunteer at the time of the incident, said the shooting was in self-defense. Martin's family said the teenager was simply passing through the housing area on his way home from a convenience store.
Zimmermann was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the incident that stirred civil rights rallies and drew international attention to Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law.
President Barack Obama said after the acquittal of Zimmerman that Martin "could have been me, 35 years ago" and urged Americans to understand the pain African Americans felt over the case.
'ANTI-FIREARM RHETORIC'
Zimmerman said on the website he planned to use a portion of the proceeds to fight Black Lives Matter, a black rights movement that grew out of the incident, and to counter "violence against law enforcement officers."
Proceeds would also be used to help fight Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's "anti-firearm rhetoric," he said.
"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," he said in the description.
The number from the Martin case is written on the pistol in silver permanent marker and "many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm," he said in the description.
Zimmerman, who has had brushes with law enforcement since his acquittal, was the target of an attempted murder by Matthew Apperson in a Florida road dispute in May 2015, according to prosecutors.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Department of Justice recently returned to George Zimmerman the Kel Tec 9mm gun that he had used to kill Martin, an unarmed youth, on Feb. 26, 2012, according to Gunbroker.com, the website where the weapon is being auctioned.
Zimmerman described the weapon as "a piece of American history," according to the website.
The Trayvon Martin Foundation "has no comment on the actions of that person that murdered Trayvon," Martin's father, Tracy Martin, said in a statement.
Advertisement
Zimmermann was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the incident that stirred civil rights rallies and drew international attention to Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law.
Advertisement
'ANTI-FIREARM RHETORIC'
Advertisement
Proceeds would also be used to help fight Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's "anti-firearm rhetoric," he said.
Advertisement
The number from the Martin case is written on the pistol in silver permanent marker and "many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm," he said in the description.
Advertisement
© Thomson Reuters 2016
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COMMENTS
Advertisement
US Man Accused Of Beheading Dog He Adopted From Shelter One Day Earlier After Living In US For 60 Years, Man Finds Out He Is Not A Legal Citizen Only Murders In The Building 4 Teaser: On The Trail Of A Killer Again Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Break 64-Year Royal Tradition In Surprise Move Biden Says Could Drop Election Bid If "Medical Condition" Emerged Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader 3 People Die After Drowning In Lake In Telangana: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.