Age: 17 at time of death
Involvement in case: Shooting victim
Background: Trayvon Martin gained national attention after he was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader.
Martin was walking home from a convenience store on February 26, 2012. Zimmerman was patrolling the gated community in Sanford where Martin was visiting his father.
Zimmerman spotted Martin walking, thought he looked suspicious and followed him even after a police dispatcher advised him that he didn't need to. The next few minutes have been described several ways by witnesses, but Zimmerman first told police Martin approached him, they had a few words, fought and Zimmerman shot Martin in an act of self-defense.