George Zimmerman’s Friends Speak Out, Deny Shooter Was Racist

At the one-month mark following the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, it seems everyone up to and including the president has gone on record to talk about the incident that led to Martin dying of a gunshot wound on a Sanford street- everyone with the exception of George Zimmerman.

Despite a reportedly increasing bounty on Zimmerman from the Black Panther Party, and what is likely more public interest in any single murder since the Casey Anthony trial vested in the Trayvon Martin case, George Zimmerman has been like Carmen Sandiego- somehow, the admitted killer of Martin has managed to avoid even being snapped at Starbucks or Walmart since the whole media brouhaha began. Aside from a single voicemail left on the system of a supporter, Zimmerman has not been seen nor heard from since interest in the Trayvon Martin case has gained momentum.

In fact, very few details are known about Zimmerman save for what is easily discernable by public records or widely disseminated information. What we do know what that Zimmerman had had previous encounters with the law, reportedly during the arrest of a friend and also some domestic disputes. We know that he was likely employed at a mortgage company due to an email circulated within the company warning fellow employees that a worker had been involved in a nationally prominent incident. We know that Zimmerman has not made any direct statements to media about his version of events on the night of Trayvon Martin’s death.

Public opinion has overwhelmingly favored the murdered teen in the week or so since the case became prominent, but friends of Zimmerman have recently attempted to counteract the backlash against the “freelance police officer” in the media. Joe Oliver told local reports that he has been friends with George Zimmerman for ten years, and expresses doubt that his buddy behaved in a racist way. Oliver seems to believe that his friend was acting in self-defense, and said Zimmerman “cried for days” after the shooting:

“He’s a good man, who was trying to do the right thing and it turned out horribly wrong… He’s extremely remorseful, he cried for days after it happened, okay. He’s just now realizing how big this is.”

Oliver continues:

“He’s gone through a period basically not undifferent from anybody who’s lost an life. I mean he’s lost his… look, if he meant to shoot and kill Trayvon Martin the evidence would be there. He didn’t kill him, it was self-defense and that’s what the evidence is going to show.”

George Zimmerman remains free, without pending charges in the death of Trayvon Martin.