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If George Zimmerman wouldn't have gotten out of his car to follow Trayvon Benjamin Martin, he would probably be wearing a hooded sweatshirt and be 20 years old Thursday. Zimmerman had a gun. Trayvon wore "hoodies" even when it was 100 degrees in Miami Gardens.

If Martin wouldn't have gotten suspended for 10 days for having a pipe to smoke marijuana, he would have probably graduated from Dr. Michael M. Krop High School and George T. Baker Aviation School. He would probably be a college student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, where friends said he wanted to go.

"I honestly feel that the murderer of our son should've been convicted," Trayvon's father said Wednesday, after meeting with Department of Justice officials who said Tuesday that they wouldn't file civil rights charges against Zimmerman, because of insufficient evidence to establish that he willfully deprived Trayvon of his civil rights or killed him, because of his race. For years, the NAACP has pushed for action.

"He took a life, carelessly and recklessly, and he shouldn't deserve to have his entire life walking around on the street free," Fulton said. "I just believe that he should be held accountable for what he's done."

It's not easy to let go of perceived injustice. Zimmerman didn't deny killing him, yet a Seminole County jury -- of five white women, a Latina and no African-Americans -- found the aspiring law enforcer not guilty. He was acquitted July 13, 2013.

They didn't convict himof second-degree murder, because they didn't believe the killing was "done from ill will, hatred, spite or evil intent." They also didn't find him guilty of manslaughter for "intentionally" committing acts that caused the boy's death.

MULTIMEDIA FLASHBACK: Listen to 911 calls, screams, gunshot

Zimmerman "got away with murder, but can't get away from God," said the Latina juror identified as Maddy, a mother of eight. She added that she was "hurting" and having trouble eating and sleeping. She said she was confused and was told that "if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can't say he's guilty."

African-American parents nationwide -- including President Barack Obama -- felt empathy when they saw Fulton cry. On Thursday morning, TIME revived a 2012 column"Advice for Young Black Boys, 3 Years After Trayvon Martins Death." It warned boys that "black maleness is a potentially fatal condition" and the awareness that it increases the likelihood of being perceived as a villain or a criminal "could save your life."

Zimmerman said he assumed that the boy -- who was unarmed, while walking home, as he talked on his cell phone, after buying Skittles and an Arizona brand watermelon flavored drink -- was up to no good at 7:09 p.m., Feb. 26, 2012. There was a march and a rally, after police didn't arrest the man who got in the way of him making it back home.

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In Miami Gardens, 'Lovin' Trayvon Martin, hatin' George Zimmerman' hits heart of racist reality

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: A woman holding a can of ice tea and bag of Skittles candy and hundreds of protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 20: Mimi Kennedy holding a sign along with hundreds of protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside Los Angeles Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, United States. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: Protesters take part in a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 20: A chalk outline, a bag of Skittles, and a can of iced tea are seen during a 'Justice for Trayvon' vigil outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse July 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. The vigil, along with others held nationwide, was organized by the National Action Network and called for federal charges to be filed against George Zimmerman in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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DOJ Not Filing Charges Against George Zimmerman For 2012 ...

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While the public waits for a Justice Department announcement over two separate investigations spurred by the summer shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, the department announced today it is closing its investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Justice Department officials met with Martin's family today, and were told that they will not be filing charges against George Zimmerman, who shot the 17-year-old after a confrontation in 2012. Thursday marks three years to the day since Martin was killed.

Federal prosecutors concluded there is not sufficient evidence to prove Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Fla., intentionally violated Martin's civil rights.

"Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager's life," Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division said. "Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases." The case sparked intense discussions over race in America because Martin was walking to his home with only Skittles and an iced tea in his hands.

Florida prosecutors tried to convict Zimmerman of state-level murder and manslaughter charges, but in July 2013 a jury acquitted him, saying prosecutors didn't have enough evidence to prove their case.

One juror - the only minority on the all-female jury - later told ABC News that "as the law was read to me, if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can't say he's guilty."

"You can't put the man in jail even though in our hearts we felt he was guilty," she said. "But we had to grab our hearts and put it aside and look at the evidence."

In Sanford, race-related tensions had been simmering for nearly a century, but Martin's death "was the proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back,'" bringing "those issues to the surface," the new Sanford police chief, Cecil Smith, recently told federal officials.

After Martin was killed, Holder sat down his own teenage son to explain that -- as unfair as it may be -- young black men must often interact with police in a different way than others, he told a convention in April 2014. It was "a conversation I hoped I'd never have to have," Holder added.

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Trayvon Martin: DOJ Announces No Charges Against George ...

George Zimmerman will not face federal civil-rights charges in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday, citing a lack of evidence.

In a prepared statement, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said FBI agents and DOJ attorneys simply could not build a successful case that Zimmerman was motivated by race when he killed the Miami Gardens teenager Feb. 26, 2012.

Even so, Holder said, Trayvon's death requires that "we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface."

The outcome came as no surprise to lawyers and people familiar with the case. It was met with resignation by Trayvon's family and prominent supporters.

Francis Oliver, founder of the Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum in Sanford, which houses a memorial for Trayvon, said the decision included "nothing that's surprising to us."

No local protests were planned, she said.

"We're not going to do anything to glorify George Zimmerman," she said. "As far as we're concerned, he doesn't exist. He's a character that we just have closed the book on."

Feds: We studied state case

In the spring of 2012, Trayvon's shooting became a civil-rights cause clbre.

Sanford police investigated but did not initially arrest Zimmerman, something that led to rallies and brought Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and the national president of the NAACP to Sanford.

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George Zimmerman will not face civil rights charges in ...

The Justice Department will not file civil rights charges against George Zimmerman, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin. (Reuters)

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that George Zimmerman will not face federal criminal civil rights charges for shooting and killing teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Zimmerman fatally shot Martin while the unarmed African American 17-year-old was walking in Sanford, Fla. The shooting became a national flashpoint, sparking a discussion of race relations that continues to reverberate since the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and other incidents across the country.

The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement. It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country.

As a result of the announcement Tuesday, the federal investigation into the shooting has been closed.

Holder said that the comprehensive examination determined that there was not enough evidence for a federal hate crime prosecution. But he addedthat Martins premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface.

Martins familysaid in a statement that they were disappointed with the findings, but thanked the people who offered prayer and other support over the years.

We remain poised to do everything in our power to help eradicate senseless violence in our communities, because we dont want any other parent to experience the unexplainable loss we have endured, Martinsfamily said. We will never, ever forget what happened to our son, Trayvon, and will honor his memory by working tirelessly to make the world a better place.

His family also thanked the Justice Department for the extensive and thorough investigation into the killing of our son. A Martin family attorney confirmed that representatives of the family met with JusticeDepartmentofficials on Tuesday to be told about the decision. They were also joined by officials from the FBI.

The decision was not unexpected, as three law enforcement officials told The Washington Postlast fall that Zimmerman was not expected to facecharges. It was announced two days before the third anniversary of Martins death and almost three weeks after what would have been Martins 20th birthday.

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George Zimmerman wont face civil rights charges in Trayvon Martins death