USDOJ will review Martin killing, FAMU students participate in peaceful protest

On Saturday, a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman had faced murder and manslaughter counts for killing the unarmed African American teenager more than a year ago.

The ruling triggered national outrage from many who believe the verdict is unjust. A large number of FAMU students were among those who shared this view. That night, university officials said that the campus was still calm despite reports of “an incident” near the school.

“After the Trayvon Martin verdict, a notice earlier this evening identified an incident near campus,” FAMU said in press statement. “As of 11:30 p.m. the FAMU campus is calm and there are no safety related issues or concerns reported. FAMU students are preparing for a peaceful march.”

According to the USA Today, "Hundreds of students from FAMU, Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College and other members of the community answered the call to protest the verdict at the Florida Capitol... The protesters met at the Leon County Civic Center at midnight [on Sunday, July 14] and marched for several blocks before reaching the Capitol. In remembrance of Trayvon Martin, half of the march took place in silence. The rest of the way, participants chanted and sang hymns."

The peaceful reaction from FAMU’s students paralleled U.S. President Barack Obama’s call for “calm reflection” and increased vigilance against gun violence.

“I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities,” Obama said. “We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin."

The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Eric Holder, announced that it will review Martin’s killing in order to determine if there are grounds for legal action by the federal government.

“As the Department first acknowledged last year, we have an open investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin,” a USDOJ statement said. “The Department of Justice’s Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to evaluate the evidence generated during the federal investigation, as well as the evidence and testimony from the state trial. Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.”