US Teenager’s Killer Charged with Second-degree Murder

George Zimmerman, the volunteer neighborhood watch guard who killed 17-year-old African-American Trayvon Martin, has been charged with second-degree murder by a Florida state court.

“Today, we filed an information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree,” Florida state attorney general Angela Corey, who is investigating the case, told a press conference in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old, who is now in custody, is set to appear in court within 24 hours. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The issue of hate crimes is one of the most controversial topics in the Unites States and has in the recent weeks sparked a number of demonstrations across the country.

Martin’s murder, which took place in Sanford, Florida on February 26, has rekindled concerns over the matter among the US public. Many have questioned the motives behind the killing, saying the shooting was racially motivated.

However, Zimmerman claims that he had acted in self-defense, saying that the victim had slammed his head into the pavement repeatedly before he fired the gunshot.

(Taken from RHC)