Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old unarmed African-American teen gunned down by neighborhood watch in Florida, has gained national attention, thanks to celebrities like Spike Lee and Wyclef Jean, who tweeted about getting justice for Trayvon.
Nearly half a million people signed a petition at Change.org, a social action website, asking for the shooter, George Zimmerman, to be arrested. The petition along with the national coverage of the story has prompted the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and the FBI to launch an investigation of the February 26 shooting.
The case is complicated in the state of Florida, as Florida state law allows a person the right to stand their ground and use deadly force if they feel threatened. Zimmerman can't be prosecuted for murder or manslaughter, so any prosecution for civil rights violations must prove Zimmerman took Martin's life because of prejudice.
Source: sohh.com
