The attorney who helped murder defendant George Zimmerman win a controversial acquittal last month was frustrated to learn his client toured a gun factory on Thursday.
According to TMZ, the former neighborhood crime watchman visited Kel-Tec firearms, the company that manufactured the semi-automatic handgun Zimmerman used in the fatal confrontation with Trayvon Martin.
“We certainly would not have advised him to go to the factory that made the gun that he used to shoot Trayvon Martin through the heart,” Shawn Vincent, a spokesman for attorney Mark O’Mara, told Yahoo News. “That was not part of our public relations plan.”
Zimmerman's brother, Robert, confirmed the factory tour to CNN.
News of Zimmerman’s visit to the gunmaker comes just six weeks after a jury found him not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of Martin, an unarmed black teenager in Sanford, Fla. The trial was televised to a wide audience, and his acquittal led to nationwide protests and prompted President Barack Obama to speak out on the case.
According to the TMZ story, Zimmerman got a personal tour of the Cocoa, Fla., facility from the son of Kel-Tec’s founder and owner. The story includes a picture of Zimmerman and a man wearing a Kel-Tec shirt. TMZ says it was taken on the assembly plant floor. The entertainment website reported that Zimmerman inquired about purchasing a tactical shotgun; however Kel-Tec’s website says the company doesn't sell firearms directly to the public.
A woman who answered the phone at Kel-Tec on Friday said “no comment” and hung up. An email sent to Kel-Tec was not immediately returned.
In July, Kel-Tec twice posted to its Facebook page about the Zimmerman case but has since removed the identical messages.
“Kel-Tec is proud to be the choice of so many who protect themselves and their families with our products; however, when any firearm is used there always has to be an answer for pulling the trigger,” stated part of the Facebook message. “As conceal carry owners, it is important for us to understand that we are responsible for the bullet when it leaves our gun. Part of carrying a firearm is having a heightened sense of our surroundings, current laws, and the understanding that the use of a weapon could have long lasting effects. In this particular event, we don't know exactly what happened on that day, but we do know that one person lost his life, and the other one seems to have lost almost just as much. It is a sad situation, and we pray that God's hand stays with the families that are involved. God bless.”
Zimmerman/Martin (AP/Family)
At trial, Zimmerman’s defense team argued that their client killed Martin in self defense when the teen began beating him. The gun involved in the shooting is now with the U.S. Justice Department, which is reviewing the case for possible federal charges. Attorneys have said that Zimmerman, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Florida, planned to continue to arm himself because of threats against his life.
O’Mara still represents Zimmerman on sanctions his firm filed against Florida prosecutors for allegedly withholding case discovery, and in a defamation lawsuit against NBC News. Vincent says O'Mara and Zimmerman are in contact about once a week.
“From that perspective, we are George’s legal representation, but I don’t think he takes our advice on how he lives his life or what factories he decides to tour,” Vincent told Yahoo News. “We represented him in court. We got the verdict that we believe is just, and the rest of George’s life is up to George.”
But Vincent acknowledged that the timing of the factory tour was not well planned, especially since Zimmerman has become a lightning rod in the debate on gun and self defense rights.
“If you’re a public figure and you represent people’s opinion on those issues, then what you do in context is important for sure,” Vincent said.
Attempts to reach Zimmerman were unsuccessful. An email sent to his brother, who often speaks on his behalf, was not immediately returned.
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