One year ago, African-American Florida teen Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed at his father's gated community by George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic resident of the community. The killing outraged thousands of Americans and launched a renewed dialogue about racial profiling, "Stand your ground" laws and gun control.
Feb. 26, 2012: Trayvon Martin Killed
About 7 p.m. Zimmerman, a 28-year-old unofficial neighborhood-watch man, called 911 to report a "suspicious person," later reported to be Trayvon, in a gated community, Retreat at Twin Lakes, in Sanford, Fla. Despite instructions from the dispatcher, Zimmerman pursued him. Zimmerman alleges that after an exchange of words, Trayvon punched him in the nose, pinned him to the ground and began slamming his head into the sidewalk. About 7:25 p.m. Trayvon was shot once in the chest and killed. At the time of his death, the unarmed teen, who was on his way back to his dad's home after a trip to a convenience store, was carrying a small amount of cash, a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. He was wearing a hoodie.
March 8, 2012: Martin Family Holds Press Conference
Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for the Martin family, along with Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, held a news conference in Orlando, Fla. The family expressed concern that police would decide to consider the shooting as self-defense and that police had ignored their request for a recording of the original 911 call.
March 12, 2012: Police: There Is No Reason for an Arrest in Trayvon Shooting
In response to growing complaints, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee said Zimmerman had not been charged because there was no reason to believe that the shooting was not self-defense under Florida's "Stand your ground" laws, according to Orlando's WFTV. Lee later admitted that investigators took Zimmerman's word that he had a clean record and didn't find out about Zimmerman's previous arrest until days after the shooting.
March 20, 2012: Department of Justice and FBI to Probe Shooting
Responding to civil rights complaints, the federal government announced plans to investigate the shooting. The decision to open an investigation into the slaying spurred an internal debate at the DOJ over whether the federal government could bring criminal charges in the case. Civil rights law protects against "hate crimes" or actions by police officers, but Trayvon's shooting may not have either of those elements, officials told the Washington Post.
March 21, 2012: The Million Hoodie March
Hundreds gathered in New York City's Union Square to show solidarity with Trayvon Martin and his family and to protest racial profiling. Trayvon's parents thanked the demonstrators, who chanted, "We want arrests" as they marched in the teen's memory.
March 23, 2012: President Obama Weighs In on Trayvon Martin
Speaking publicly on the subject for the first time, the president said that if he had a son, "he would look like Trayvon," and that he wanted to get to the bottom of the incident.
March 23, 2012: LeBron James Tweets Miami Heat Hoodie Photo
With President Obama adding his two cents and the entire Miami Heat basketball team posing for a picture for which they all wore hoodies, the Trayvon Martin case became even more widely known than it already was.
March 29, 2012: Police Video Shows Zimmerman After Trayvon Martin Shooting
In leaked surveillance video footage of Zimmerman being led from a police car shortly after he fatally shot Trayvon, he does not appear to have any obvious signs of injuries or bloodstains, but his attorney said the video was too grainy to be revealing.
April 9, 2012: Poll Shows Sharp Racial Divide
Proving the divisiveness of the case, a USA Today/Gallup poll found that 73 percent of blacks believed Zimmerman would already have been arrested had Trayvon Martin been a white teen. Only 33 percent of whites said the same.
April 11, 2012: Zimmerman Is Charged With Second-Degree Murder
George Zimmerman was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. "We did not come to this decision lightly," Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to re-examine the case, said at a news conference in Jacksonville, Fla.
June 7, 2012: Zimmerman's Bond Is Revoked
Zimmerman returned to jail because his $150,000 bond was revoked after prosecutors claimed that he and his wife, Shellie, had deceived the court during an April bond hearing. At the hearing, Shellie testified that the couple had limited funds for bail because she was a full-time student and her husband wasn't working. Prosecutors said George actually had raised $135,000 in donations from a website he created. His wife was charged with perjury.
June 22, 2012: Sanford Fires Police Chief
Lawyer Crump said that Trayvon's family was satisfied with the firing of police Chief Bill Lee. The family learned of the termination while attending the 37th annual National Association of Black Journalists convention in New Orleans.
Oct. 22, 2012: Zimmerman's Defense Gains Access to School, Social Media Records
A judge ruled that attorneys for the neighborhood-watch volunteer could inspect the school records and social media postings of Trayvon to "see if they give any evidence that he had violent tendencies," the Associated Press reported.
Dec. 3, 2012: Zimmerman's Lawyers Release Photo of His Bloody Nose
Although a grainy version of the picture had been floating around for months, the color photo shows Zimmerman's nose bloody and swollen on the night of the killing.
Feb. 9, 2013: Jamie Foxx Joins Trayvon Martin's Parents for Peace Walk
The actor joined Trayvon's parents in Miami for a Day of Remembrance Peace Walk in honor of the teen. "The thing is, with press, and you know how press goes, it will be a hot story at one point. It will be the thing to go to, and all of a sudden, they try to forget about it," Foxx said. "And I said I don't want anybody to forget about this, because they can't forget about the fact that they lost their son."
Feb. 20, 2013: Sanford Hires a Black Police Chief
Incoming Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith is scheduled to take his new post on April 1, just days before George Zimmerman's scheduled "Stand your ground" hearing. "We have to let it go through the court system," he told press. "The court has to make the decision whether Mr. Zimmerman is guilty or not guilty, but my goal in the police department is to make sure nothing like this happens again."
Feb. 26, 2013: The Nation Remembers Trayvon Martin
For the one-year anniversary of Trayvon's death, his parents and supporters held a Million Hoodie Vigil in New York City's Union Square. Tracy Martin declared the day "Hoods Up Day." Memorials were also held in Sanford, Fla., where Trayvon was killed.
March 5, 2013: Defense Waives 'Stand Your Ground' Hearing
Under Florida's "Stand your ground" law, if Zimmerman's legal team proved that he killed Trayvon out of self-defense, Zimmerman would have been granted immunity and walked free. But defense attorneys skipped the hearing in which they could have argued for the dismissal of Zimmerman's charges.
March 25, 2013: Zimmerman's Brother Rants on Twitter
Robert Zimmerman, George Zimmerman's brother, wrote a controversial tweet comparing Trayvon Martin to a 17-year-old black male in Georgia who was accused of killing a baby. After the uproar over the tweet, Robert Zimmerman apologized.
April 5, 2013: Trayvon's Parents Settle With Homeowners Association
Trayvon's parents were believed to have settled for more than $1 million in a wrongful-death lawsuit against the homeowners association of the neighborhood where Trayvon was killed. Though the specific amount wasn't made public, in February Mark O'Hara, George Zimmerman's defense attorney, said that the association or its insurer offered Martin and Fulton a million-dollar settlement and they refused that amount.
April 12, 2013: The Racial References Continue
Port Canaveral, Fla., police Sgt. Ron King was fired from his position with the police department after he brought targets resembling Trayvon to a gun range. King made a YouTube video responding to the allegations. In the video he said that the targets were a "no-shoot training aid."
April 12, 2013: Zimmerman's Mother Speaks Out
Gladys Zimmerman, George Zimmerman's mother, wrote an open letter to commemorate the one-year anniversary of her son's arrest. She said in the letter that the justice system failed her family and that her son is an innocent man. The letter doesn't mention Trayvon or his family.
April 14, 2013: Jamie Foxx's Shirt Stirs Up Controversy
Jamie Foxx wore a shirt to the MTV Music Awards that said, "kNOw Justice, kNOw Peace" and featured photos of Trayvon and the Newtown, Conn., school shooting victims. Racist reactions ensued on social media outlets.
May 23, 2013: O'Hara Requests 6-Week Delay
Mark O'Hara, the lead defense attorney for George Zimmerman, filed for a six-week delay of the start of the trial against Zimmerman. He cited new evidence from the prosecution as the reason. Judge Debra Nelson rejected the request.
May 28, 2013: Defense Can't Use Information
Judge Debra Nelson ruled that defense attorneys can't mention Trayvon's marijuana use, past fighting or school suspension during opening statements in the upcoming trial. However, that information may come up in testimony.
June 2, 2013: Cellphone-Video Controversy
Defense attorney Mark O'Hara admitted that a video from Trayvon Martin's cellphone shows two homeless men fighting over a bicycle, although the defense initially argued that the video shows Trayvon friends beating up a homeless man. On social media, the mistake stirred up controversy and accusations of racism. The defense team has not yet released the video to the public.