How old was Trayvon Martin when he died? A look back at the teen's death that sparked Black Lives Matter Movement

February 5, 2025, marked the 30th birth anniversary of Trayvon Martin, who was just a teen when he was fatally shot over a decade back.

Martin's death, which sparked a nationwide debate over racial profiling and discrimination, happened on February 26, 2012. Trayvon Martin was 17 at the time of his death and was visiting his father's fiancée in Sanford, Florida. Following his death, the accused, George Zimmerman, was not initially apprehended by the police.

After the subsequent protests, the authorities arrested Zimmerman and charged him with second-degree murder. A trial began in June 2013 after an all-female jury was selected. A few weeks later, on July 13, 2013, the jury acquitted Zimmerman. The decision was met with public opposition, and the Black Lives Matter movement was started.

Read on to learn more about what transpired in February 2012 that led to Trayvon Martin’s death and ultimately sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

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More about Trayvon Martin’s tragic death and the inception of the Black Lives Matter movement

Born in February 1995, Trayvon Martin was an African-American teen who hailed from Miami Gardens, Florida. His parents – Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin – were divorced, and Trayvon was living with his mother. In February 2012, he visited his father at his fiancée’s home in Sanford's gated community, The Retreat at Twin Lakes.

On the evening of February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was returning from a nearby convenience store when he was spotted by George Zimmerman. 28-year-old at that time, Zimmerman was an insurance fraud investigator and a Neighborhood Watch captain. Due to recent break-ins and burglaries, Zimmerman assumed Martin to be a suspect.

George Zimmerman also called 911 to alert the authorities of his suspicion of a guy in a dark hoodie. However, the former Neighborhood Watch captain was asked to observe and not follow the suspect. Regardless of the direction, Zimmerman seemingly followed Trayvon Martin, and subsequently, a gunshot was heard in the area.

When police reached the spot, they found Martin lifeless, face down on the ground. Zimmerman was also present at the scene and reportedly had a bloody nose and cuts on the back of his head. The authorities, who initially had taken George Zimmerman in custody, let him go after some questioning.

George Zimmerman claimed that he was acting in self-defense due to the lack of evidence that refuted his claims. The following day, Trayvon Martin’s father filed a missing person’s report and found out his son was fatally shot the previous night. Shortly after the incident, the news also made it to the national headlines.

The Martin family called in for Zimmerman's arrest, and protests were staged for the same. A Change.org petition also started in March and got over 2.2 million people to sign. Following the demonstrations, then-US President Barack Obama also addressed the issue and was quoted saying,

"When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids. I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this. And that everybody pull together."

He further added,

"My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon. All of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves. Obviously, this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through," Obama said. "All of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how something like this has happened."

After the massive uproar, Sanford Police arrested Zimmerman in April 2012. He was released in April but was asked to surrender again in June after the prosecution argued that the defendant and his wife misrepresented their finances when the bail bond was set initially. He was again released in July 2012.

During his first bond hearing, Zimmerman reportedly apologized to Trayvon Martin’s family for the loss of their son. However, he didn’t plead guilty and maintained that he acted in self-defense. Thus, a trial happened a year later, in June 2013, in front of an all-female six-membered jury who acquitted Zimmerman.

Zimmerman's acquittal was also met with protests across the US, while many further raised concerns of racial profiling and bias. President Obama asked everyone to maintain calm after the decision was announced. July 13, 2013, was the first time when the “Black Lives Matter” phrase was used.

A California resident, Alicia Garza, penned a Facebook post where she used the phrase as a hashtag. She later launched the Black Lives Matter Network with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. The movement gained more recognition after protests following the killings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Rekia Boyd, and more.

In 2020, George Floyd's death garnered global attention for the BLM movement.