Black Lives Matter: The Lost Life Of Trayvon Martin

This year marked the sixth anniversary of the teen’s death. Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. In the aftermath of his death, Trayvon’s life impacted many around him and his memory was the inspiration behind a huge civil rights movement led by African-American activists. A Change.org petition to charge Zimmerman received so many signatures it set a record for the website. Then a famous rapper got involved in Martin’s story, and Zimmerman threatened to hurt him. Read on to see how that played out…

The Gated Community Where Martin Died Was Crime-Ridden

Photo: The Washington Post

The Retreat at Twin Lakes is a gated community in Sanford, Florida. In the year prior to Martin’s death, police were called to the community over 400 times. There were one shooting and eight burglaries. Residents also reported that there were dozens of break-ins in the neighborhood, which frightened many of them. In September 2011, residents decided to start a neighborhood watch program to handle the criminal activities. George Zimmerman was appointed program coordinator. Zimmerman had contacted police on numerous occasions from 2004 to 2012 over various problems, including loud parties, potholes, and other disturbances. By 2011, many of his calls were related to criminal activity.