Bidding for the gun used by George Zimmerman to kill 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 ended Wednesday with a final offer of $138,900. It was not clear if the bid is authentic. File Pool Photo by Joe Burbank/UPI |
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ORLANDO, Fla., May 19 (UPI) -- Online bidding for the gun used by George Zimmerman to kill Trayvon Martin in 2012 ended Wednesday with a final offer of $138,900, but it was not clear if the offer is legitimate.
The final offer for Zimmerman's 9mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol, on UnitedGunGroup.com, came in at noon Wednesday from a user named "John Smith" one minute before the controversial auction closed. A man identifying himself as Smith told the Orlando Sentinel his bid was phony. The company said Zimmerman had two simultaneous auctions, "one for the prequalified bidders, one for the public."
Zimmerman said the auction was a success and praised United Gun Group for having the "moral fortitude in hosting my firearm auction."
"The winning bidder will ultimately decide if they want their information to be maintained in confidentiality and they are assured that I will withhold their identity from all media and private parties," he said.
The auction went live on United Gun Group at 9 a.m. Saturday after several false starts. The opening bid was $100,000 or a "buy it now" price of $500,000. Zimmerman had been trying to sell the weapon since May 12, with the first auction on Gunbroker.com. After the company announced it wanted "no part in the listing on our website," Zimmerman moved to United Gun Group.
The first auction on the new site ended with a $65 million bid by someone identified as "Racist McShootFace." It was not considered a serious bid.
Zimmerman, now 32, was charged with second-degree murder after Trayvon's February 2012 shooting, sparking a nationwide debate over Florida's so-called "stand your ground" laws and race relations. He described the weapon as an "American Firearm Icon" and it was the gun "that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012."
Zimmerman said a portion of the proceeds would be used to "fight [Black Lives Matter] violence against law enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela [Corey's] persecution career and Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric. " Corey was appointed special prosecutor by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to investigate Martin's death.
