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The top bidder for a time was one "Racist McShootface," although other bids from a "Tamir Rice" -- the name of a Cleveland child killed by police last year -- also appear in the list of offers for the weapon Zimmerman used in his 2012 Sanford, Florida, confrontation with 17-year-old Martin.

The "Racist McShootface" bids were deleted Friday morning from the United Gun Group auction site, but the trolling prompted one apparently serious bidder to call the trolls "losers" and express hope that their "children get murdered."

"Obviously the jury didn't think it was murder," the bidder identified as Brez Morrell posted of Zimmerman's 2013 acquittal. "He did nothing wrong."

The $65 million bid was later replaced by one from a user named Craig Bryant. It was unclear if that bid was serious.

Zimmerman -- seen by some as a national pariah and by others as a hero -- announced plans to sell the Kel-Tec PF-9 weapon on Wednesday. The 9mm pistol carries a suggested price of $356.36 on the manufacturer's website.

On Friday afternoon, United Gun Group posted a statement to Twitter expressing condolences to Martin's family, but appearing to support the continuation of Zimmerman's auction.

"Unless the law has been violated, it is the intention of United Gun Group to allow its members to use any of the available features," the statement read.

On February 26, 2012, Zimmerman called 911 to report a "suspicious person" in his neighborhood. Police told him not to get out of the car or approach Martin, but he disregarded the instructions and a confrontation ensued.

Zimmerman said Martin attacked him and he shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense. The case shined a spotlight on Florida laws allowing the use of deadly force and on issues of race.

In his post introducing the auction, Zimmerman said he was "honored and humbled to announce the sale of an American Firearm Icon."

He said some of the proceeds would be used to fight Black Lives Matter violence against police, and to "ensure the demise of (State's Attorney) Angela Correy's persecution career and Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric."

Zimmerman had first tried to sell the pistol through a site called GunBroker, but the website sent out a message Thursday afternoon saying it had rejected the idea.

"Our site rules state that we reserve the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and have done so with the Zimmerman listing," a GunBroker statement said. "We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving."

Zimmerman told CNN he moved the auction to another website, giving a different reason than GunBroker did.

"Unfortunately, (the site) was not prepared for the traffic and publicity surrounding the auction of my firearm," Zimmerman said in a text. "It has now been placed with another auction house."

That site, United Gun Group, put out a statement Thursday night saying the gun would not be sold on its site, but the auction appeared to proceed anyway.

After initially saying the site would not allow the auction, founder Todd Underwood said in an email to CNN that an official response would be released Friday.

"I recently received it back from the Department of Justice," he said. "They took it after my trial, after I was exonerated."

Zimmerman told the station he has had death threats since he put the gun up for sale.

"What I've decided to do is not cower," he said. "I'm a free American. I can do what I want with my possessions."

In posting the weapon for auction, Zimmerman described the weapon as a "piece of American History."

"The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012," Zimmerman apparently wrote in the posts.

"The pistol currently has the case number written on it in silver permanent marker," he wrote.

Zimmerman said museums such as the Smithsonian Institution have "expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm."

But the Washington-based Smithsonian denied it has any interest in the weapon.

"We have never expressed interest in collecting George Zimmerman's firearm, and have no plans to ever collect or display it in any museums," it said in a statement.

Family attorney Benjamin Crump told CNN's "New Day" Friday that Zimmerman "keeps appearing to reopen the wounds again and again."

"It's like he is shooting and killing Trayvon all over again four years later with this attempt to auction off this gun like it's some kind of trophy," Crump said. "I mean, it's offensive, it's outrageous and it's insulting."

The gun sale is not Zimmerman's first effort at auction.

CNN's Elan Bird, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Shawn Nottingham, Polo Sandoval, Justin Lear and Ralph Ellis contributed to this report.

Excerpt from:
George Zimmerman's gun may still be up for auction - cnn.com

Sanford, Fla., police Officer Timothy Smith holds up the gun that was used to kill Trayvon Martin, while testifying on June 28, 2013, the 15th day of George Zimmerman's murder trial. Zimmerman has listed the gun for sale online. Pool/Getty Images hide caption

Sanford, Fla., police Officer Timothy Smith holds up the gun that was used to kill Trayvon Martin, while testifying on June 28, 2013, the 15th day of George Zimmerman's murder trial. Zimmerman has listed the gun for sale online.

Updated 6:15 p.m. ET

George Zimmerman, who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 and was acquitted of all charges in the case, said Thursday that he was auctioning off the gun that he says he used in that incident.

The 9 mm pistol was initially listed for sale on GunBroker.com, posted by user "GZ1776." By Thursday afternoon, however, the listing for the auction, which was supposed to begin at 11 a.m., was no longer active.

In a statement on GunBroker.com, the company wrote that it reserves "the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and have done so with the Zimmerman listing. We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving."

The statement also said:

"Late last night, George Zimmerman created a listing on our web site for the gun from the Trayvon Martin case four years ago. Mr. Zimmerman alerted news organizations that began reporting on the listing first thing this morning.

"Listings on the GunBroker.com web site are user-generated, exactly like social media posts. Mr. Zimmerman never contacted anyone at GunBroker.com prior to or after the listing was created and no one at GunBroker.com has any relationship with Zimmerman."

NPR's Greg Allen reports that the website pulled Zimmerman's Kel-Tec pistol before the auction began. Greg adds that Zimmerman told the Orlando Sentinel that the website was not "prepared for the traffic and publicity surrounding the auction of my firearm."

He then listed the gun for sale with another website, UnitedGunGroup.com, which the website confirmed on Twitter. That link is also not functioning.

"The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012," the original listing on GunBroker.com stated. It went on to say the gun is fully functional and had been returned to Zimmerman by the Department of Justice.

It concluded:

"I am proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds will 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. Now is your opportunity to own a piece of American History. Good Luck. Your friend, George M. Zimmerman ~Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum~ "

Angela Corey was the attorney leading the case against Zimmerman, who was charged with murder and manslaughter but acquitted after he claimed self-defense. Si vis pacem para bellum is Latin for "If you want peace, prepare for war."

In this photo provided by the Seminole County Sheriff`s Office, George Zimmerman poses for a mug shot after being arrested and booked into jail at the John Polk Correctional Facility Jan. 9, 2015, in Sanford, Fla. Florida officials reported that Zimmerman had been charged with aggravated assault and domestic violence with a weapon. Getty Images hide caption

Zimmerman spoke with Fox 35 Orlando, a local news station, and confirmed that he is auctioning off the gun he says was used to shoot and kill Martin.

He told the news station that he has received death threats, both before and after posting the listing.

"What I've decided to do is not cower," he told Fox 35 Orlando. "I'm a free American. I can do what I want with my possessions."

The station also spoke with an attorney for Martin's family, who said the Trayvon Martin Foundation is "laser focused" on ending gun violence and "has no comments on the actions of that person."

The auction was set to begin Thursday at 11 a.m., with a starting price of $5,000.

The site on which the gun was listed first, GunBroker.com, has made headlines in relation to the Martin case before. In 2012, shooting targets showing a hooded figure holding Skittles and iced tea the items Martin was carrying the night he died were reportedly advertised on the website.

GunBroker.com told Reuters the ads were removed as soon as the company was aware of them.

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George Zimmerman Auctioning Off Gun He Used To Kill ...

Zimmerman told a news station that it is time to move past the firearm. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

George Zimmerman(Photo: Seminole County Public Affairs via AP)

George Zimmerman tried a second time Thursday toauction off the firearm he used to kill 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, but both gun-selling websites yanked the listing beforebidding was to beginon what Zimmerman described as a"piece of history."

A statement posted on the first websiteGunBroker.comsaid listings are user generated, and that the company reserved the right to reject any listing at itsdiscretion.

"Mr. Zimmerman never contacted anyone at GunBroker.com prior to or after the listing was created and no one at (the website) has any relationship with Zimmerman," the company wrote in its statement.

It added, "We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving."

Thelisting, which gotmore than 185,000 views, wasreplaced at mid-morning Thursdayby a message that said,without elaboration,"Sorry, but the item you have requested is no longer in the system."

Zimmerman told the Orlando Sentinel that GunBroker.comwas not "prepared for the traffic and publicity surrounding the auction of my firearm. It has now been placed with another auction house."

The new listing forthe Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm firearm was postedonunitedgungroup.com. That site apparently went down a few minutes later.

United Gun Group said in a statement Thursday night they pulled Zimmerman's listing from the site because the auction is not in the organization's best interest.

Our mission is to esteem the 2nd amendment and provide a safe and secure platform for firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman does not help us achieve that objective," the organization wrote.

Zimmerman wrotein both listings thatthat he was"honored and humbled" to announce the sale of the weapon and set the bidding to start at $5,000. Similar firearmsnormally sellon the site for around $200.

"The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012," he wrote.

Zimmerman, 32, noted the Justice Department returned the weapon to him recentlyand it still bearsthe case numberwritten on it in silver permanent marker.

"This is a piece of American History," he wrote. "It has been featured in several publications and in current University text books."

Zimmerman, then a neighborhood watch volunteer,shot and killed Trayvonin February2012,in a confrontation as the unarmed teenager washeading back to a relative's house in Sanford, Fla.,after buying snacks at a convenience store.

A juryfound Zimmerman, who alleged that Trayvonwas trying to bash his head on the pavement during a struggle,not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, issued a statementThursdaythrough his lawyer, Benjamin Crump, saying a foundation in his son's name is focusing onending senseless gun violence and "has no commenton the actions of that person that murdered Trayvon."

In his listing, Zimmerman saidhe hadturned down several offers for the notorious firearm because the buyers planned touse it"in a fashion I did not feel comfortable with."

He claimed in his auction listing that the "Smithsonian Museum" in Washington, D.C., had expressed interest in buying the firearm, however, the Smithsonian Institution said Thursday on Twitter,"Wehave never expressed interest in collecting George Zimmermans firearm, and have no plans to ever collect or display it in any museums."

Instead, Zimmerman saidhe plannedto use the proceeds from the sale of the gun which he calledan "American Firearm Icon"to fight "Black Lives Matter" violence against law enforcement officers and to counter"Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric." He also said money would be used to "ensure the demise of Angela Correy's (sic) persecution career." Corey was the special prosecutor appointed to investigate Martin's death.

In a conversation with Fox35 in Orlando, Zimmermansaid if he doesn't sell the firearm, it willgo in a safe and "never be used or seen again."

Zimmerman, who has had several run-ins with the law since the Martinshooting, including domestic abuse chargesand an alleged road rage incident,told Fox35that he has had death threats while in hiding and that it is"time to move past the firearm."

"What I have decided to do is not cower," he told the TV station. "I'm a free American. I can do what I want with mypossessions."

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Originally posted here:
George Zimmerman's auction of Trayvon Martin gun back on

After it was halted by two websites on Thursday, the auction for the gun that George Zimmerman used to kill Trayvon Martin was back up on one website Friday morning. USA TODAY

This file photo image provided by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office taken on June 2, 2012 shows George Zimmerman as he poses for a mugshot photo following his surrender to authorities at John E. Polk Correctional Facility (JEPCF) in Sanford, Florida.(Photo: HANDOUT, AFP/Getty Images)

Bidding in an online auction for the gun George Zimmerman used to kill Trayvon Martin was upto$65million Friday morning as Internet trolls appeared to drive the offersto astronomiclevels.

Bidding on the 9 mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol began at $5,000 and reached more than $65 million earlyFriday.Thetop bidder at one point used the screen name Racist McShootface. That account was later deleted. Another bidder used the name Tamir Rice, which is the name of a 12-year-old boy shot by police in Cleveland while carrying a toy gun.

The most recent bid topping $65 million is by someone identified as Craig Bryant.

The United Gun Group website began hosting the auction after another website, GunBroker.com, halted bidding. ButUnited Gun Group briefly pulled the listing Thursday night, sayingthe auction was not in the organization's best interest.

Our mission is to esteem the 2nd amendment and provide a safe and secure platform for firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman does not help us achieve that objective," the organization wrote.

However, the auction was back up andrunning on the companys website early Friday and the bid clock says it will be open for four more days.

GunBroker.com stopped the auction on its site Thursday and said Zimmerman never contacted anyone at the firm about the listing.

USA TODAY

George Zimmerman's auction of Trayvon Martin gun taken down a second time

"We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving," it said in a statement.

Zimmermantold theOrlando Sentinelthat GunBroker.comwas not "prepared for the traffic and publicity surrounding the auction of my firearm. It has now been placed with another auction house."

Zimmerman told Orlando TV station WOFL that the gun was returned to him by the U.S. Justice Department after he was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter in 17-year-old Martin'sdeath in 2012.

Zimmerman, 32, saidhe plannedto use the proceeds from the sale of the gun, which he described as "an American Firearm Icon," to fight "Black Lives Matter" violence against law enforcement officers and to counter"Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric." He also said money would be used to "ensure the demise of Angela Correy's (sic) persecution career." Corey was the special prosecutor appointed to investigate Martin's death.

The listing ended withif you want peace, prepare for war in Latin.

USA TODAY

After death of son, mother stands with Black Lives Matter

Zimmerman, then a neighborhood watch volunteer,shot and killedMartin in February2012,in a confrontation as the unarmed teenager washeading back to a relative's house inSanford, Fla.,after buying snacks at a convenience store.

Tracy Martin, the boy's father,issued a statementThursdaythrough his lawyer, Benjamin Crump, saying a foundation in his son's name is focusing onending senseless gun violence and "has no commenton the actions of that person that murdered Trayvon."

Zimmerman has had several run-ins with the law since Martin'sshooting, including domestic abuse chargesand an alleged road rage incident.Ina conversation with Fox35in Orlando, he said if he doesn't sell the firearm, it willgo in a safe and "never be used or seen again."

A file picture date June 25 2013 shows the hands of Diana Smith, crime scene technician for the Sanford Police Department, showing the jury Zimmerman's gun, which was collected as evidence at the crime scene, during Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Florida.(Photo: GARY W. GREEN / POOL, EPA)

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Original post:
Bids in George Zimmerman gun auction up to $65M

George Zimmerman has reportedly said he's sold the pistol he used to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin during an altercation.

Zimmerman told Las Vegas TV station KTNV on Friday that he's accepting a bid for $250,000 after an auction for the gun closed this week.

A Daytona Beach, Florida, bar owner told the News-Journal newspaper that Zimmerman had accepted his bid for $150,000 but instead backed out for the higher bid. Denny Honeycutt told the paper that Zimmerman said the buyer was a woman who was giving the gun as a birthday present to her son.

"I thought he was a man of his word," Honeycutt told the paper.

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Sanford police officer Timothy Smith holds up the gun that was used to kill Trayvon Martin while testifying during George Zimmerman's murder trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Florida, June 28, 2013.

Reuters/Joe Burbank/Pool

On Wednesday, the former neighborhood watch volunteer - who was acquitted in the 2012 slaying - said on his blog that the sale was successful, though he gave no details and said the buyer may choose to remain anonymous.

Details of the auction are unclear. The website believed to be the venue, United Gun Group, later said in a tweet that there were two auctions running simultaneously, one for pre-qualifed buyers and a "fake" one for the public. Bids on the fake site visible to the public went as high as $138,900 before it was deleted about midday Wednesday.

Zimmerman had set the minimum bid at $100,000. Zimmerman had told Orlando, Florida, TV station WOFL that the pistol was returned to him by the U.S. Justice Department, which took it after he was acquitted in Martin's 2012 shooting death.

Critics had called the auction an insensitive move to profit the slaying.

Zimmerman, who identifies as Hispanic and is now 32, has said he was defending himself when he killed Martin, 17, in a gated community near Orlando. Martin, who lived in Miami with his mother, was visiting his father at the time.

Zimmerman's acquittal sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. The Justice Department later decided not to prosecute Zimmerman on civil rights charges.

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