SANFORD, Florida (AP) — The jury in George Zimmerman’s murder trial deliberated for a second day today, weighing whether the neighborhood watch volunteer committed a crime almost a year and a half ago when he fatally shot an unarmed black teenager.
Jurors reconvened at 9 a.m. today, deliberated for three hours and then broke for lunch. They resumed their discussions about 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, about two dozen people gathered outside the courthouse awaiting a verdict, with supporters of the Martin family outnumbering those there for Zimmerman. One man held a sign reading, “We love you George.” A woman lay in the grass in a hoodie, her arms spread, in a re-creation of Martin’s death.
On Twitter, Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, shared what she called her favorite Bible verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty in the shooting of the 17-year-old Martin, saying he fired in self-defense during a nighttime confrontation in February 2012 in his Florida gated community, where Martin was visiting family. Zimmerman says Martin was slamming his head into the concrete pavement when he fired his gun.
The case drew national attention and protests when Zimmerman 29, wasn’t arrested for weeks after the shooting, and racial tensions have been exposed.
