Dozens of newspapers, including Saint Louis Today, have reported that neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, was charged on March 12 with second-degree murder for the February 26 shooting death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin.
Between the time of the shooting and the charges being filed, there has been an enormous amount of public and media outcry demanding justice.
The shooting, of the unarmed black teenager, occurred on a rainy night in the town of Sanford, Fla.
Zimmerman is of white and Hispanic descent.
At a Jacksonville news conference, Florida State Attorney Angela Corey said, "We did not come to this decision lightly."
In regards to the mounting tension and public protests seen nationwide, Corey added, "Let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition."
Due to the intensity of negative feelings directed toward Zimmerman, his exact whereabouts have not been disclosed for the entire time he was in hiding after the shooting. And, according to Corey, because of this fact, he will be remanded in a secret location.
Corey said that keeping Zimmerman's location secret was "for his safety as well as for everyone else's safety."
Because Zimmerman is white and Martin black, the shooting that Zimmerman claims was in self-defense, has brought about the same public outcry the nation experienced after the 1991 police beating of Rodney King.
Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin's father, said during a Washington news conference, "It feels good to know he's off the streets. I feel very good just ... knowing he's off the street, that he's in custody, that the wheel's starting to turn in our favor." While Sabrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother, said, "I want to say thank God. We simply wanted an arrest. We wanted nothing more, nothing less. We just wanted an arrest and we got it, and I say thank you."
Sabrina Fulton also added, "I just want to speak from my heart to your heart because a heart has no color. It's not black, it's not white."
Mark O'Mara, a new attorney that is now representing Zimmerman, said that his client's claim of self-defense is only "one facet" of their defense. O'Mara told reporters that Zimmerman was "doing ok" albeit "troubled" by the charges he is facing.
The town of Sanford allegedly has a reputation for racial tension. Riots, according to some African American residents, may have been forthcoming in the area if Zimmerman wasn't charged. A police car in the neighborhood, empty of officers at the time, was shot up. One resident, T.J., 43, was quoted as saying, "I'm going to loot every Caucasian store."
Another woman showed her relief in light of Zimmerman's arrest. B.S., 54, said, "I feel like this is he beginning of seeing justice prevail."
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