DETROIT, MI -- City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution supporting the U.S. Justice Department investigation into the slaying of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, sparking a discussion on the level outrage that arises when Detroit youths are shot and often killed every week.

A Florida jury earlier this month acquitted George Zimmerman of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the 2012 slaying of the unarmed 17-year-old.

The acquittal sparked demonstrations around the country. Protesters believe Zimmerman followed Martin around his gated community in Sanford, Fla. because he was black.

Prosecutors during the trial portrayed Zimmerman as a vigilante frustrated by break-ins in the neighborhood. Zimmerman claimed he was being attacked by Martin when he pulled his gun and shot the teen.

The gun and other evidence have been turned over to federal investigators, who are looking into whether Zimmerman violated Martin's civil rights.

Detroit City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to support the federal investigation.

"The message I think we also need to be sending at the same time that we pursue this, is that in the same way that we are outraged over the verdict in this case, we need to have that same level of outrage with respect to the black-on-black crime that takes place in our community every single day," said Councilman Ken Cockrel, Jr.

"... If you are a young black male, you stand a far greater chance of being shot and killed not by some overzealous, white neighborhood watch worker, but by somebody who looks just like you and probably lives in your same neighborhood. And we don't always raise our voices with the same level of outrage when that happens."

Council member JoAnn Watson, who introduced the resolution, pointed out that there are frequent, passionate anti-violence rallies, vigils and prayer sessions held in Detroit regularly.

"Let me just say that we do express outrage," Watson said. "There was a stop-the-violence meeting just last night at Fellowship Chapel."

Activists and families of homicide victims organize gatherings on the 22nd of every month, which is designated in Detroit as a "Day of Peace and Healing," established by the city in August 2012.

(Related: Families of Detroit homicide victims plead with community to help stop the bleeding)

"We do. We express all kinds of outrage over all kinds of violence," Watson said. "

Councilman James Tate said the issue requires more attention than rallies and neighborhood gatherings can provide.

"There are rallies, events that takes place, but there needs to be additional action from the community on a regular basis," Tate said. "... The reality is we see young black boys being killed every day.

"We've got to have community response that is louder and larger than one group, once a month, or two groups or three groups. We rally, and that's good. We should. But it's so much bigger than a rally. We have to talk about the education. We have to talk about the training. We have to talk about the unemployment... We have to talk about the poverty. We have to talk about the conditions that many of our kids have to go through on a daily basis."

Council President Saunteel Jenkins, who said she lost her own 14-year-old brother to gun violence, wants to see outrage in incidences of youths losing their lives.

"I think that one does not diminish the other," Jenkins said. "We need to hold each other just as accountable. We should have days of marching in the street, just like there was days of marching in the streets after Trayvon Martin.

"No death of any child should outweigh the death of another, period."

Follow Khalil AlHajal on Twitter @DetroitKhalil or on Facebook at Detroit Khalil. He can be reached at kalhajal@mlive.com or 313-643-0527.