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Media pool photo Orlando Sentinel /for Headline Surfer / Accused murderer George Zimmerman is shown in circuit court in Sanford with defense attorney Mark O'Mara. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of slain teen Trayvon Martin speak exclusively with Headline Surfer following an April 1, rally in Miami attended by thousands of supporters.
SANFORD -- Before the mass murders in Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., no gun-related slaying created such a national uproar than that of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin who crossed paths with gun-toting neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. It's the No. 1 story in Headline Surfer's ranking of the Top 10 Florida stories of 2012.
That Zimmerman was armed and Trayvon was not when he was shot to death after the gunman ignored the plea of a 9-1-1 dispatcher not to pursue the teen, led to cries of racism and a raging debate over gun control.
That Zimmerman wasn't charged for 44 days had seemingly everyone weighing in from President Obama to Hollywood celebrities and gun rights activists over issues of equality of justice because Sanford cops had initially said the fatal shooting was justified under Florida's stand your ground law.
Headline Surfer photos by Henry Frederick /A massive April 1 rally in Miami was passionate and peaceful as shown here in these images. at left. Below, the hoodie is put on display to demonstrate against the stereotype that such clothing is worn by thugs looking for trouble as was insinuated by George Zimmerman in a 9-1-1 call.The debate became even more politicized when Gov. Scott appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the shooting, which led to the second-degree murder charge, for which Zimmerman pleaded innocence.
There were countless civil rights marches in the interim, including college students marching from Daytona Beach to the Sanford Police Department and a massive rally in a downtown Miami park that drew thousands of protestors demanding "justice for Trayvon."
The "Justice Rally" included singer Chaka Khan and retired NBA superstars Alonzo Mourning and Isaiah Thomas who flanked Trayvon's grieving parents on stage.
It was at the conclusion of the Miami rally that Headline Surfer (aka NSBNews.net), secured an exclusive interview with the slain teen's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
Though emotionally drained from the two-hour-plus rally, Fulton said she as energized and enthused by the show of support at the rally.
"We are not alone in this fight for justice," Fulton said.
After being hammered by media questions regarding their desire for the arrest of the shooter George Zimmerman, the New Smyrna Beach-based Internet newspaper focused instead in the interview on their personal feelings beyond that.
Tracy Martin saw the crowd's demand for justice as coming down to "what's right and wrong."
Headline Surfer photo by Serafina Frederick / College students march from Daytona to Sanford to protest what they saw as inequality of justice weeks prior to George Zimmerman being charged with killing Trayvon Martin.Asked why the demonstrations have remained peaceful and without trouble, unlike the melee that occurred in the NCAA college basketball Final Four win by Kentucky over Louisville where cars were turned over and burned and a shot fired in the direction of a cop, Trayvon's dad said the non-violence demonstrated at the Trayvon rallies is a testament to the two of them promoting peace.
"We'd like for the rallies to be peaceful," he said. "We believe there will be a peaceful resolution."
Sybrina Fulton was emphatic in that hope for a peaceful resolution not only for her son, but for others moving forward: "Change will be made as a result of Trayvon Martin. There are gonna be many changes in the way people think and the way the laws are written. I believe that is the bottom line and that is our focus right now -- to change some laws so it doesn't happen to another child."
Sybrina Fulton was emphatic in that hope for a peaceful resolution not only for her son, but for others moving forward: "Change will be made as a result of Trayvon Martin. There are gonna be many changes in the way people think and the way the laws are written. I believe that is the bottom line and that is our focus right now -- to change some laws so it doesn't happen to another child."
Headline Surfer was the lone Florida media outlet recognized by the Florida Press Club in November with an award for the exclusive interview with Trayvon Martin's parents. It was one of four awards in the 2012 competition for excellence in journalism for the Internet newspaper, the most given to an individual media representative.
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Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel, Pool / for Headline Surfer / George Zimmerman is shown in court April 12, in Sanford, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of the 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The Zimmerman trial isn't expected to get under way until mid-summer at the earliest, against the circus-like atmosphere following his arrest, with a new set of high profile attorneys taking the reins and Zimmerman having his bail revoked by the second of three judges after being found in contempt for concealing assets from an online website supporting his self defense claim.
There was his controversial appearance on the FOX News show "Hannity" and Zimmerman suing NBC over parts of his 9-1-1 recording being omitted.
In the meantime, Benjamin Crump, the Tallahassee-based attorney representing the interests of Trayvon's parents from the onset, said the Christmas holidays were especially tough on them, away from the glare of the TV cameras.
"They're like everyone else who has lost a child to senseless violence," Crump said. "There's the cold reality that he's dead. That he is never coming home again."
Related Headline Surfer videos produced by Multimedia Editor Serafina Frederick:
In the first video above, George Zimmerman calls 9-1-1. In the second video, the shot that killed Trayvon Martin is heard in a 9-1-1 call made by a neighbor. The third video captures a college student march from Daytona Beach to Sanford.
In the first video above, retired Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning addresses thousands who came out in support of "justice for Trayvon." In the second video, Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Trayvon Martin's parents questions why an arrest had not been made. In the the third video, students perform a skit on stage.
In the first video above, The Rev. Al Sharpton grants Headline Surfer a brief interview after addressing the crowd at the Miami rally. I the second video, lead defense attorney Marl O'Mara holds court with the media outside the Seminole County Coutthouse in Sanford, including a technical question from Headline Surfer about speedy trial provisions.
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