George Zimmerman was released on from a Florida jail Sunday after posting $150,000 bail. The 28-year-old, who was charged earlier this month with second degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, left the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford around midnight. The conditions of his release include a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew and a GPS monitoring device so authorities can track his location in real time.
In his bond hearing last Friday, Zimmerman apologized to Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
"I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son,” he said.
"I did not know how old he was. I thought that he was a little bit younger than I am and I did not know if he was armed or not,” said Zimmerman, who has maintained he was acting in self defense when he fatally shot Martin on February 26 in a Sanford neighborhood.
Martin, an African American, was unarmed and walking back to the home of his father’s fiancé when the shooting occurred. He was eating skittles, drinking sweet tea, and talking to his girlfriend on the phone when Zimmerman, who was on neighborhood watch, called police claiming the teen was acting suspicious. Zimmerman followed Martin and a brief struggle ensued. The struggle ended with Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, shooting the teen. Police say it is unclear who started the altercation.
Martin’s death sparked public outcry with many claiming the teen was targeted because of his race. Protests demanding Zimmerman’s arrest were held across the United States. Zimmerman was arrested and charged on April 11.
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