Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager wearing a hooded sweatshirt, was shot by former Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. Zimmerman claimed to have acted in self-defense, but given that Martin was unarmed, public opinion condemned the shooting, and protests erupted nationwide. The shooting was seen as an instance of racial profiling, and the local police were severely criticized for not arresting or charging Zimmerman until many days later. President Obama commented on the case, noting"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.".