Trayvon Martin Murder to Be Investigated by FBI, DOJ as Hate Crime

The murder of black teenager Trayvon Martin– for the crime of walking with Skittles and an iced tea through a white neighborhood in Florida on February 26th- was shocking enough in and of itself.

But the fact that George Zimmerman- the self-appointed, wannabe police officer who shot the teen in cold blood after admitting to 911 he was pursuing the unarmed kid- remains free after the murder has provoked considerable outrage across the nation and even internationally. Ire surrounding the massive injustice has been rising on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, but as the days tick by, Zimmerman remains uncharged.

However, the case has caught the attention of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, who have launched concurrent investigations into the teen’s senseless death and the subsequent lack of exploration into his murder by local police. In a statement, Florida state attorney Norman Wolfinger confirmed that a grand jury will begin investigating on April 10th, and asked people to have faith in the system:

“I share in the desire of the family and the community to accurately collect and evaluate all the facts surrounding the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. I respectfully request that the public remain patient as this process continues forward.”

In a separate statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said:

“The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation… The department also is providing assistance to and cooperating with the state officials in their investigation into the incident.”

In addition to the investigation planned, the DOJ is dispatching community relations staff to the area to “diffuse tensions,” according to the New York Times. Do you think the wheels of justice are spinning too slowly for Trayvon Martin?