Trayvon Martin’s Parents Reach Settlement in Wrongful Death Claim

By: Taren Vaughan

The tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin caused an uproar in the Black community and all over the country about a year ago when it was reported that the 17-year-old boy from Sanford, Florida was fatally shot by Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman who claimed that Trayvon had a suspicious look to him and that the teenager attacked him. Trayvon’s death sparked protests all over the country and the “Million Hoodie March” took place where people came out dressed in hoodies, what Trayvon was wearing the night he got killed, to send a clear message that justice needed to be served. After the shooting death took place, more information surfaced about the incident and the police chief of Sanford was shown the door. People have continued to honor Trayvon Martin’s memory and have been following the case step by step to see what the final outcome would be. Awaiting a trial, doing multiple interviews with the media and all the heartache that they have endured, a settlement has been reached in the wrongful-death claim that Trayvon Martin’s parents made, resulting in his parents receiving a sizable amount of money, the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Trayvon Martin’s parents have settled a wrongful-death claim for an amount thought to be more than $1 million against the homeowners association of the Sanford subdivision where their teenage son was killed.

Their attorney, Benjamin Crump, filed that paperwork at the Seminole County Courthouse, a portion of which was made public Friday.

In the five pages of the settlement that were available for public review, the settlement amount had been marked out. Lower in the agreement, the parties specified that they would keep that amount confidential.

George Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara said in an interview that he did in February that Trayvon’s parents had tried to reach a settlement through mediation and the homeowners association or its insurer had offered $1 million, however Trayvon’s parents rejected the offered amount. O’Mara also said that the talk between the two parties was renewed and they agreed to settle months ago.