Prosecutor Angela Corey has stated that the case against George Zimmerman will not go before a grand jury. Zimmerman is currently being investigated for his role in the death of a 17-year-old in Florida. A grand jury is only required in cases involving first degree murder in Florida. It seems the highest charge that Zimmerman would be facing is second degree murder. Police had previously declined to press charges against Zimmerman the night of the shooting. Though he was in custody, and had been interviewed by police, he had not been charged with a crime.
The death of Trayvon Martin has gripped the nation to some extent. What is known for sure is that George Zimmerman, a Hispanic man who was involved with the local neighborhood watch, shot and killed an African-American teenager on Feb. 26. Zimmerman had placed a call to 911 about a suspicious person prior to the shooting. Other than that, the details are controversial and unconfirmed. Zimmerman claims that Martin approached him as Zimmerman returned to his truck and attacked him. Others believe that Zimmerman was the aggressor and Martin did nothing to provoke Zimmerman other than walking around at night. Police did allegedly document injuries that may have been consistent with injuries that would be sustained in a fight.
Martin's death has led to marches and rallies in memory of the teen. The impact of his death has been felt nationwide. There have been questions raised about the media portrayal of the men involved. Generally pictures in the media show a Martin who is much younger than his 17 years. NBC recently got into hot water over an edited clip the "Today Show" aired that suggested that Zimmerman was targeting Martin because of his race. NBC has since apologized and acknowledged the misleading nature of the edited call.
No matter how the case turns out, life will never be the same for anyone involved in the tragedy. Zimmerman has faced threats and massive backlash over what may have happened and Martin's family will never forget the young man who was killed.