The mother of Trayvon Martin leaves the courtroom with her attorney after the hearing that granted a $150,000 bail to George Zimmerman the suspect in the killing of the 17-year-old unarmed African American youth. People were outraged at the decision., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
13 July 2013
Last updated at 23:09 ET
George Zimmerman not guilty of Trayvon Martin murder
George Zimmerman, the Florida neighbourhood watchman who shot dead an unarmed black 17-year-old male last year, has been found not guilty.
Lawyers for Mr Zimmerman, 29, argued he acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force in the death of Trayvon Martin.
The jury retired on Friday to consider its verdict on charges of either second-degree murder or manslaughter.
The case sparked a fierce debate about racial profiling in the US.
Protesters are gathering, reports the BBC's David Willis, in Sanford, the Florida town where the shooting took place.
Police and community leaders have appealed for calm.
'No further business'
After the verdict, Judge Deborah Nelson told Mr Zimmerman he was free to go.
"Your bond will be released. Your GPS monitor will be cut off when you exit the courtroom over here. And you have no further business with the court," Judge Nelson said.
Mr Zimmerman showed little reaction as the verdict was read out.
"Hopefully everyone will respect the jury's verdict," his lawyer Mark O'Mara told reporters after the case.
He said Mr Zimmerman would now have to be "very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said that they would revenge - that they would not listen to - a verdict of not guilty."
Another member of his defence team, Don West, said: "I'm glad this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty."
Our correspondent said the case brought into sharp relief some of the most divisive issues in the United States: race, gun control and equal justice under the law.
Florida police did not arrest Mr Zimmerman for six weeks after the shooting.
Under the state's controversial "stand your ground" law, the use of lethal force is allowed if a person feels seriously under threat.
Hooded sweatshirt
As the jury retired on Friday, the judge told the panel of six women to consider whether Mr Zimmerman, 29, acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force.
Without explicitly discussing race, the prosecution had suggested Mr Zimmerman assumed the African-American teenager, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt as he walked in the rain, was up to no good.
But the defence said Trayvon Martin punched their client, slammed his head into the pavement and reached for Mr Zimmerman's gun.
The accused, who was legally armed with a pistol, had been sitting in his vehicle on a dark street when he saw Martin.
Mr Zimmerman telephoned police to report a suspicious person, then left his vehicle in apparent pursuit of the teenager.
Shortly afterwards, Martin was found dead, shot in the chest.
Earlier, Mr Zimmerman's lawyer said he had proven his client's "pure, unadulterated innocence" in Martin's death.
But prosecutors said the accused had told a series of lies.
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