Convinced that he would need financial assistance and protection, an Ohio gun group reportedly raised over $12,000 for George Zimmerman to use on weapons, ammunition and a security system. In reality, that money will probably go to his legal fees. Two weeks ago, Zimmerman was acquitted in the Feb. 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The controversial verdict led to nationwide protests, and Zimmerman has been in hiding since it was delivered.
Buckeye Firearms Foundation wrote a $12,150.37 check for Zimmerman because it believes the U.S. Department of Justice—which has seized evidence from the trial, including his gun—is violating his gun rights. “The Department of Justice refused to return him his gun, and he’s in need of protection,” group legal chairman Ken Hanson said. “The money is intended to be used for anything he needs to defend himself or his family. He has complete discretion on how to use the money.”
Hanson says the fundraiser began last week and drew contributors from 48 states and three separate countries. According to Zimmerman's spokesman Shawn Vincent, the check could be added to a fund for his defense and other expenses that is being managed by a third party.
[via New York Daily News]
RELATED: Remembering Trayvon Martin: How a Young Man's Short Life and Senseless Death Will Reverberate
