George Zimmerman is trying to raise some extra cash by auctioning the gun he used to kill black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012, Fox 35 Orlando reports.
Zimmerman put the 9mm up for auction on gunbroker.com beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday starting at $5,000. He says in the listing a portion of the proceeds will go to fight Black Lives Matter violence against police.
“What I’ve decided to do is not cower,” Zimmerman told WOFL. “I’m a free American. I can do what I want with my possessions.”
Zimmerman was acquitted for shooting Martin in the high-profile, racially charged case in 2013. The acquittal drew protests and allegations of a racially biased justice system and helped fuel the beginnings of the Black Lives Matter movement. Zimmerman has since repeatedly appeared in headlines, including when he was arrested in a domestic violence dispute with his girlfriend. Those charges were later dropped. Zimmerman says in the listing that the Department of Justice returned the gun to him.
“Prospective bidders, I am honored and humbled to announce the sale of an American Firearm Icon,” the listing reads. “The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012. Many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm including The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. This is a piece of American History. It has been featured in several publications and in current University text books.”
The Martin family would not comment on the auction and only said they are focusing on gun control.
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