Trayvon Martin death: Zimmerman's gun returns to auction

The pistol used to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin will again be auctioned online. George Zimmerman, who shot and killed the teenager, had planned to auction what he called "an American icon" on the website Gun Broker on Thursday.

Mr Zimmerman said the gun was recently returned to him

But the web posting was removed just as the auction was due to begin with a reserve price of $5,000 (£3,450). United Gun Group will now host the auction; however, their website is currently offline.

Mr Zimmerman, 32, a neighbourhood watchman, was cleared over the death of the teenager in February 2012 after saying he acted in self-defence. In a statement on Facebook, United Gun Group says that their stance is that as long as Mr Zimmerman "is obeying the letter of the law, his personal firearm sale will be permitted on our network."


Todd Underwood, who owns United Gun Group, confirmed the listing and told the Washington Post that "I don't support it, I don't condone it, I don't have anything against it. It's his property, it's his decision." A statement on Gun Broker's website said that Mr Zimmerman had made the posting himself, without consulting with website administrators.

"We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving," the statement read.
In an online posting to announce the auction, Mr Zimmerman said that he would use the profits to "fight" the Black Lives Matter movement and oppose Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

A lawyer for the Martin family told the Washington Post that "it is insulting to this family that he would decide that he would sell the gun that he killed their child with".v