Spike Lee apologizes for George Zimmerman address tweet
Spike Lee apologized on Wednesday for retweeting a tweet thought to contain Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman's address that turned out to be an elderly couple's residence.
Lee wrote:
I Deeply Apologize To The McClain Family For Retweeting Their Address. It Was A Mistake. Please Leave The McClain's In Peace. Justice In Court
Lee retweeted the erroneous information to his 240,000-plus followers last Friday. The original tweet--posted the same day by Marcus Davonne Higgins, a 33-year-old from Los Angeles, using the Twitter handle @Maccapone--was sent to several celebrities including Lee, 50 Cent and LeBron James. Higgins urged friends on Facebook to "REACH OUT & TOUCH" Zimmerman.
The couple--David McClain, 72, and his 70-year-old wife Elaine--had been living in fear after their Sanford, Fla., address, via Lee, was widely disseminated.
Lee's tweet sparked outrage among critics who said he was encouraging vigilante justice.
Other popular Yahoo News stories:
• Trayvon Martin shooting: Debate over photos escalates
• Russell Simmons rips Geraldo's hoodie apology to Trayvon Martin supporters
• Trayvon Martin shooting: New details emerge from Twitter account, witness testimony