Story highlights "Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered," Martin's father tweets

Zimmerman lawyer: If my client were black, he never would have been charged with a crime

Martin family attorney: The efforts of millions of supporters are

"There are no winners," Zimmerman's brother says

George Zimmerman never denied shooting Trayvon Martin, but he said he did so in self defense. Late Saturday night, a Florida jury found him not guilty in the teenager's death.

The verdict caps a case that has inflamed passions for well over a year, much of it focused on race.

The six jurors -- all of them women -- deliberated for 16½ hours. Five of the women are white; one is a minority.

When he heard his fate, Zimmerman had little visible reaction. He turned and shook the hand of one of his attorneys before sitting back down, smiling only after court was adjourned.

Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, were not in the courtroom when the decision was announced. But they shared their emotions on Twitter shortly afterward.

Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, is joined by her son Jahvaris Fulton as she speaks to the crowd during a rally in New York City, Saturday, July 20. A jury in Florida acquitted Zimmerman of all charges related to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. View photos of key moments from the trial. Hide Caption 1 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Protesters attend a rally in support of Trayvon Martin, in New York on July 20. The Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network organized the "'Justice for Trayvon' 100 city vigil" which called supporters to gather in front of federal buildings around the country on July 20, as a continued protest against the George Zimmerman verdict. Hide Caption 2 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks to the crowd during the rally in New York City on July 20. Hide Caption 3 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Beyoncé, left, and Jay-Z, center, arrive at the rally in New York City on July 20. Hide Caption 4 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Thousands of people gathered outside the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in downtown Atlanta as part of the network of vigils on July 20. Hide Caption 5 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A chalk outline, a bag of Skittles, and a can of iced tea are seen during the vigil outside the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C., on July 20. Hide Caption 6 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Protesters march across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Brooklyn after attending the rally in Manhattan on July 20. Hide Caption 7 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Tracy Martin, father of Trayvon Martin, poses for a photo with supporters wearing hoodies at the rally in Miami on July 20. Hide Caption 8 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Protesters march through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, on Tuesday, July 16, during a demonstration of the George Zimmerman trial. Hide Caption 9 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – The Rev. Al Sharpton calls for a full federal investigation of the Martin killing, saying mere remarks by President Barack Obama and others weren't enough, outside the U.S. Justice Department in Washington on July 16. Hide Caption 10 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A passenger takes a picture of protesters as he rides a city bus on July 16 in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 11 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Protesters confront police officers on Monday, July 15, in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 12 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Leon McCutchin participates in a candlelight vigil for Martin on July 15 in New York City. Hide Caption 13 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A large group of demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta on July 15 during a protest of the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Hide Caption 14 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Outside the Department of Justice in Washington on July 15, Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, leads a prayer during a demonstration asking for justice for Trayvon Martin. Hide Caption 15 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Residents of Sanford, Florida, attend a prayer vigil to promote peace and unity in their city in the wake of the George Zimmerman trial on July 15. Hide Caption 16 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – About 500 demonstrators gather during a rally and march in support of Trayvon Martin on July 15 in Birmingham, Alabama. Hide Caption 17 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A man argues with a police officer as supporters of Trayvon Martin march while blocking traffic in Union Square in New York on Sunday, July 14. Hide Caption 18 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A man throws a trashcan during a protest in Oakland, California, on July 14. Hide Caption 19 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – People gather at a rally honoring Trayvon Martin at Union Square in New York on July 14. Hide Caption 20 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Demonstrators march following a rally at the Torch of Freedom in downtown Miami on July 14. Hide Caption 21 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Police hold positions on I-10 in Los Angeles. Protesters walked onto the freeway, stopping traffic, on July 14. Hide Caption 22 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A protester shouts in the streets of New York on July 13. Hide Caption 23 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A man in Los Angeles wears a shirt in support of Trayvon Martin on July 13. Hide Caption 24 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Tanetta Foster cries in front of the courthouse on July 13 after hearing the verdict. Hide Caption 25 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – A Trayvon Martin supporter rallies outside the courthouse on July 13. After Martin's death, protesters started wearing hoodies in solidarity against racial profiling. Hide Caption 26 of 27 Photos: Photos: Reaction to Zimmerman verdict Reaction to Zimmerman verdict – Demonstrators and members of the media gather outside of the courthouse on July 13. The jurors deliberated for more than 16 hours before delivering their verdict. Hide Caption 27 of 27

Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – George Zimmerman is congratulated by members of his defense team, Don West and Lorna Truett, after the not guilty verdict is read on Saturday, July 13, in Sanford, Florida. A jury of six women found him not guilty in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. View photos of the public reaction to the verdict. Hide Caption 1 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – George Zimmerman's wife, Shellie Zimmerman, cries as friends and family members celebrate the verdict on July 13. Hide Caption 2 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Robert Zimmerman Sr. and Gladys Zimmerman embrace after their son is found not guilty on July 13. Hide Caption 3 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – George Zimmerman prepares to leave the courtroom after the not guilty verdict is read on July 13. Hide Caption 4 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman confers with his defense team on July 13, after working out the wording for a response to the jury, who had asked for clarification on the instructions regarding manslaughter. The response, crafted and agreed to by both the prosecution and defense, instructed the jury to ask their question more specifically, as the court could not engage in general discussion. Hide Caption 5 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman and his defense team stand in the courtroom as the jury arrives before starting their second day of deliberations on July 13. Hide Caption 6 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Prosecutor John Guy addresses the jury with his closing rebuttal during Zimmerman's murder trial on Friday, July 12. "He shot him because he wanted to," Guy told jurors, saying that Zimmerman didn't have to shoot 17-year-old Martin. Hide Caption 7 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara holds up a chart during closing arguments for the defense on Friday, July 12. "How many 'what ifs' have you heard from the state in this case?" O'Mara asked the jury. "They don't get to ask you that." Hide Caption 8 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman, right, sits with another defense attorney, Don West, this week. West objected to a third-degree murder charge also sought by prosecutors on Thursday, July 11, the day closing arguments began. The judge ruled out that charge but said the jury could consider convicting the defendant of manslaughter. Hide Caption 9 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a forensic pathologist and gunshot wound expert, describes Zimmerman's injuries while testifying for the defense Tuesday, July 9. Hide Caption 10 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Defense attorney Mark O'Mara, right, questions forensics animation expert Daniel Schumaker, center, at the bench of Judge Debra Nelson with Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei, left, during a July 9 hearing on the admissibility of animation created for the defense. Schumaker showed the judge and Mantei some 3-D animation on his laptop after an overhead projector didn't work. Hide Caption 11 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – John Donnelly, a friend of George Zimmerman's, cries on the witness stand on Monday, July 8, in Sanford, Florida, after listening to screams on the 911 tape entered in evidence. Hide Caption 12 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Sondra Osterman, a friend of Zimmerman's, listens to the 911 tape while testifying on July 8. Hide Caption 13 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Mark Osterman, a friend of Zimmerman's, testifies on July 8 and describes the type of gun Zimmerman owned. Hide Caption 14 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Leanne Benjamin, a friend of Zimmerman's, smiles while identifying him in court on July 8. Hide Caption 15 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, takes the stand during Zimmerman's trial on Friday, July 5. Hide Caption 16 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – George Zimmerman's mother, Gladys Zimmerman, listens to the 911 tape while taking the stand during his trial in Seminole County circuit court on July 5. Hide Caption 17 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Martin's brother Jahvaris Fulton testifies at the Zimmerman trial in Seminole County circuit court on July 5. Hide Caption 18 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Volusia and Seminole County associate medical examiner Shiping Bao testifies on July 5. Bao conducted the final autopsy on Martin and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the chest. Hide Caption 19 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Lab Analyst Anthony Gorgone testifies about DNA findings on Wednesday, July 3, in Sanford, Florida. Here, Gorgone points to a sweatshirt worn by Trayvon Martin on the night Martin was shot. Only one stain on Martin's hooded jacket yielded a partial DNA profile that matched Zimmerman's. Hide Caption 20 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Gorgone points to a jacket worn by Zimmerman on the night of the shooting. Multiple stains on Zimmerman's jacket tested positive for Zimmerman's DNA. At least two stains from the jacket tested positive for a mixture of DNA that included Martin's DNA. Hide Caption 21 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Firearms analyst Amy Siewert from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement answers questions from the prosecution while holding Zimmerman's gun on July 3. Siewert examined the gun and said Zimmerman had one bullet ready to fire in the chamber as well as a fully loaded magazine when the shooting occurred. Hide Caption 22 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Alexis Carter, a military prosecutor, testifies during the trial on July 3. Carter taught a criminal litigation class that Zimmerman completed, and testified that the class included extensive coverage of Florida's self-defense laws. Hide Caption 23 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Mark Osterman, a U.S. Air Marshal and friend of Zimmerman's who wrote a book about the case, testifies on Tuesday, July 2. He recounted the story of the shooting that Zimmerman told him and testified that when he took Zimmerman home from the police station after the shooting, Zimmerman wasn't acting like himself. Hide Caption 24 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda, on July 2, demonstrates a possible scenario while questioning state witness Chris Serino, a Sanford police officer. Hide Caption 25 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Hirotaka Nakasone, a voice recognition expert with the FBI, testifies in the Zimmerman trial on Monday, July 1. Hide Caption 26 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Witness Jonathan Good is cross-examined by defense attorney Mark O'Mara on Friday, June 28. Hide Caption 27 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Selma Mora reenacts a scenario for defense attorney Mark O'Mara on Thursday, June 27. Mora lived in Zimmerman's neighborhood at the time of the shooting. Hide Caption 28 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Witness Jennifer Lauer points to where her former home was in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community during questioning by defense attorney Mark O'Mara on June 27. Lauer called 911 on the night of the shooting. Hide Caption 29 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Rachel Jeantel , a friend of Martin's, is questioned by defense attorney Don West on June 27. She appeared to get frustrated several times during the cross-examination, including one time when West suggested they could break until the morning so she'd have more time to review the deposition transcript. Hide Caption 30 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – The evidence letter that Jeantel says she wrote with a friend for Sybrina Fulton, Martin's mother, is displayed during the trial on June 27. When the defense asked Jeantel to read the letter, she said she couldn't read cursive. She asked a friend to write the letter for her, she said. Hide Caption 31 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Jeantel testifies on Wednesday, June 26. She was the last person to speak with Martin on the phone. Hide Caption 32 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman walks past Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton, left, and Tracy Martin, second from left, as he enters the courtroom after lunch recess on June 26. Hide Caption 33 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Diana Smith of the Sanford Police Department on Tuesday, June 25, shows the jury a bag of Skittles that was collected as evidence at the crime scene. Martin was said to be carrying the bag of candy and a soft drink at the time of his death. Hide Caption 34 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Assistant state attorneys John Guy, left, and Richard Mantei hold up Martin's sweatshirt as evidence during Zimmerman's trial on June 25. After Martin's death, protesters started wearing hoodies in solidarity against racial profiling. Hide Caption 35 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – During the trial on June 25, crime scene technician Diana Smith shows the jury a gun that was collected as evidence. Hide Caption 36 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman laughs with defense attorney Don West during his trial on June 25. Hide Caption 37 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Selene Bahadoor enters the courtroom to take the witness stand on June 25. She was the first eyewitness to testify and said the shooting occured right behind her home. Hide Caption 38 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Seminole County 911 dispatcher Sean Noffke testifies on Monday, June 24, about his conversation with Zimmerman on a non-emergency line the night of the shooting. Hide Caption 39 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – A transcript of Zimmerman's police call on the night of the shooting is projected during opening arguments on June 24. Hide Caption 40 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Martin's father, Tracy Martin, cries on June 24 as he listens to the description of his son's death. Hide Caption 41 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Prosecutor John Guy gestures during his opening arguments on June 24. His first words to the six-woman jury may have raised a few eyebrows. "Good morning. 'F*****g punks, these a******s all get away,'" Guy quoted Zimmerman. "These were the words in this grown man's mouth as he followed this boy that he didn't know. Those were his words, not mine." Hide Caption 42 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – From left, Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman Sr.; his mother, Gladys; and his wife, Shellie, are escorted from the courtroom on June 24. Since they are all on the witness list, the judge ruled they cannot be present in the courtroom until after they testify. Hide Caption 43 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Defense attorney Don West displays a photo of Zimmerman from the night of the shooting during his opening arguments on June 24. He opened his statements with a knock-knock joke but failed to win a laugh. "Knock knock. Who's there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? Good, you're on the jury," he said. Hide Caption 44 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – A video entered as evidence is displayed on June 24. It shows Martin, right, at a 7-Eleven on the night of his shooting. Hide Caption 45 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – From left, Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, and Benjamin Crump, the family's legal counsel, make a brief statement to the media before jurors heard opening statements on June 24. Hide Caption 46 of 47 Photos: Photos: Zimmerman trial Key moments in the Zimmerman trial – Zimmerman waits for the start of his trial on June 24. Hide Caption 47 of 47

"Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY," Tracy Martin tweeted.

Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., said words can't express how relieved his family is.

"Having said that, I don't think this is a time for high-fiving," the brother said. "I acknowledge -- we all have acknowledged -- that Mr. Martin, Trayvon Martin, lost his life. (But) it was not an act of murder. It was not an act of manslaughter."

The decision

The jury had three choices: to find Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder; to find him guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter; or to find him not guilty.

For second-degree murder, the jurors would have had to believe that Martin's unlawful killing was "done from ill will, hatred, spite or an evil intent" and would be "of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life."

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To convict Zimmerman of manslaughter, the jurors would have had to believe he "intentionally committed an act or acts that caused the death of Trayvon Martin." That charge could have carried a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, though the jury was not told of that possible sentence.

Ultimately, they believed Zimmerman wasn't guilty of either charge. None of the jurors wanted to speak to the media after the verdict.

A call for calm

Both sides of the case asked for peace after the verdict. In the immediate aftermath, they appeared to have gotten their wish -- even though the Internet erupted with outrage.

But now that Zimmerman is a free man, his defense and his brother fear for his safety.

"He has to be very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said, at least in tweets and everything else, that they want revenge -- that they will not listen to a verdict of not guilty," defense attorney Mark O'Mara said.

Robert Zimmerman Jr. said his brother "is going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life."

When asked if George Zimmerman will keep the gun he used to shoot Trayvon Martin, his brother said he has good reason to.

"I think he has more reason now than ever to think that people are trying to kill him because they express they're trying to kill him, all the time, every day, on my Twitter feed, on the Internet," Robert Zimmerman told CNN's Piers Morgan.

"He has always feared for his safety."

But Crump said everyone should stay calm, especially for Martin's sake.

"For Trayvon to rest in peace, we must all be peaceful."

The race debate

The trial may be over, but the race debate surrounding the case rages on.

"The whole world was looking at this case for a reason ... We'd be intellectually dishonest if we didn't acknowledge the racial undertones in this case," Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said. "So we have to have very responsible conversations about how we get better as a country and move forward from this tragedy and learn from it."

Prosecutor Angela Corey said Martin was unfairly viewed as a criminal before he was shot.

Amid the national debate about whether Zimmerman racially profiled Martin, defense attorney O'Mara suggested his client was actually profiled by critics.

"I think things would have been different if George Zimmerman were black for this reason: He never would have been charged with a crime," O'Mara said.

He said the country "absolutely" needs to have a conversation about whether young black males are treated differently in the criminal justice system -- but said that conversation is a separate topic from what happened the night Zimmerman and Martin met.

Martin family attorney Natalie Jackson commended the millions of people who signed an online petition "not in an effort to persecute George Zimmerman, but in an effort to say a black 17-year-old child should be able to walk home from the store and not be shot."

She said their efforts were not in vain.

"I don't want them to be discouraged because I think they may have saved the life of another child," Jackson said. "I think that from now on, if there is someone who wants to follow someone with a gun, I think they'll think twice about it."

The fateful night

The deadly encounter took place on February 26, 2012, as Martin walked back to his father's fiancee's house through the rain from a Sanford convenience store. The 17-year-old was carrying Skittles and a drink.

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, spotted him and called police.

A 911 dispatcher told Zimmerman that officers were on the way and not to follow the allegedly suspicious person. But Zimmerman still got out of his car, later telling police he just wanted to get a definitive address to relay to authorities.

Sometime after that, Zimmerman and Martin got into a physical altercation. Questions later arose about who was the aggressor, about whether Martin may have seen or reached for Zimmerman's gun, and about whether Zimmerman should have had more injuries if he was pummeled, as he claims.

Prosecutors never accused Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, of being racist. But they did argue that he wrongly and spitefully prejudged Martin as one of those "f***ing punks," as he's heard saying under his breath in his call to police.

"The defendant didn't shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to," Assistant State Attorney John Guy said. "He shot him because he wanted to. That's the bottom line."

The defense contended that Martin jumped out of some bushes and pounced on Zimmerman as he was walking back toward his car that night, then punched him and slammed his head repeatedly into the concrete sidewalk.

Zimmerman's account of what happened the night of the shooting was a central part of the trial. He was the only living person who witnessed the entire incident, and there wasn't much physical evidence for either team to fall back on.

What's next?

The NAACP has called for the Justice Department to file civil rights charges against Zimmerman and urged the public to sign a petition to support the effort.

"The most fundamental of civil rights -- the right to life -- was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin," the advocacy group said in a statement.

O'Mara said if anyone tries to sue Zimmerman, "we will seek and we will get civil immunity in a civil hearing. And we will see just how many civil lawsuits have spawned from this fiasco."

But for now, both families will reflect and try to move forward.

"Trayvon Martin will forever remain in the annals of history next to Medgar Evers and Emmett Till as symbols for the fight for equal justice for all," Crump said.

When asked what he has to say to Trayvon Martin's parents, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said he understands their pain.

"There are no winners. They will not win or lose anything more than they already have lost, which is their son's life, by any kind of verdict for George," Robert Zimmerman said. "I applaud them for asking for the verdict to be respected. ... And I will pray for them."