(CNN) -- On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman, a Hispanic Neighborhood Watch volunteer at the Retreat at Twin Lakes housing complex in Sanford, Florida, shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American 17-year-old. 

Initially, Zimmerman was not arrested, and no charges were brought against him. Rallies, protests and a media firestorm followed, even eliciting a comment from President Obama that "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." 

The Rev. Al Sharpton came to Sanford and admonished residents that they were "risking going down as the Birmingham and Selma of the 21st century" if nothing was done. 

Benjamin Crump, one of the attorneys representing Martin's parents and an instrumental advocate for bringing charges against Zimmerman after they were initially declined, maintains that the case is about civil rights. 

Whether the killing turns out to have been racially motivated, responded to in self-defense, the act of a resident concerned about the safety of his neighborhood or the act of a trigger-happy cop wannabe, race is an inescapable issue. 

In 2012: Did politics drive prosecution in Trayvon Martin case? 

Sanford is the county seat of Seminole County, Florida. Although it experienced explosive growth during the economic boom and has several large, modern upscale subdivisions, it remains relatively poor. 

With approximately 54,000 residents, it has a per capita income of only about $21,000, with about 18.5% of the city below the poverty line, according to the 2010 census. It is approximately 30% African-American and 20% Hispanic. It has a documented history of racial tensions between its police and its black residents. 
How old was he?
 Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American 17-year-old. 
