SANFORD, Fla. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- The fatal shooting of an unarmed Florida teen named Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer, has sparked national outrage and a federal investigation. Martin, 17, was heading home from a 7-11 convenience store on February 26 when Zimmerman followed and then confronted him. Zimmerman was armed with a 9-millimeter pistol. Martin was armed with a cellphone, a bag of Skittles and an iced tea, police said. Zimmerman claimed he gunned down Martin in self-defense.

Despite the racial overtones inherent in the case, Zimmerman has steadfastly alleged that race was not his motivation for slaying the candy-wielding, black youth. On Thursday, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee announced that he would be stepping down to prevent becoming a "distraction" in the now ongoing federal investigation, but he stands by his department's decision not to arrest Zimmerman, citing the state's "Stand Your Ground Law" of preemptive self-defense. Zimmerman has yet to be taken into custody or thoroughly interrogated by any agency, although countless groups across the country have voiced outrage over his freedom. Today, Zimmerman further justified his actions by invoking what legal analysts have called the "Skittles Defense."