George Zimmerman plans to auction the gun he used to shoot and kill unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.
WOFL FOX 35 says that it was told by the former neighborhood-watch volunteer that the Department of Justice recently returned the weapon. “I’m a free American,” he said, “I can do what I want with my possessions.”
Zimmerman has listed the Kel-Tec PF-9 9-mm on a firearms-auction website, but the listing disappeared when it was set to launch at about 11 a.m. The seller describes the gun as “an American Firearm Icon” and says it was used against Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, the night of the violent attack that sparked a national debate about violence and race. Zimmerman said he acted in self-defense and was eventually acquitted of manslaughter and murder charges.
The auction statement promises a portion of the sale will be used to fight “BLM violence against Law Enforcement officers,” in a presumable reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, and also to combat Hillary Clinton’s “anti-firearm rhetoric.”
[WOFL]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Mark Rivett-Carnac at mark.rivett-carnac@timeasia.com