Let's put it this way. From Martin's point of view, this guy was watching him and making phone calls. For all Martin knew, this guy was calling his gang buddies to come jump him, and keeping him in sight so that they'd all know where to go when they arrived. What's to prevent a gang from breaking down the door or the windows of the house, if they really want to get him?
I'm not condemning anyone here. I'm saying that what I think happened is a tragic series of events, in which intentions were misread on both sides. I do not know for sure, though--just like no one else commenting knows either.
Yes, I understand, and again that’s one of the scenarios that first came to my mind a few weeks ago. But now, knowing quite a bit more detail about the timeline and locations, I just have a very hard time fitting that to the known facts.
Again, Martin was completely out of Zimmerman’s sight with more than enough time to walk home before Zimmerman’s call ended. Yet the shooting took place at nearly that exact spot five minutes later. He did not move at all.
I think we also need to consider what would actually be a reasonable assumption by either man under the circumstances, as well.
Martin, knowing he is a stranger in this neighborhood, has just seconds earlier walked past the “Neighborhood Watch, suspicious persons will be reported to the police” sign at the gate. The person he sees is in a vehicle inside the gate. His first reaction is to approach the vehicle, not run away. If he saw this person on the phone, given the facts above, would “gang member calling for reinforcements” really be the natural thing to assume?
By the time they are face to face, what does Zimmerman know? This guy was loitering in the rain, took off when he saw I was on the phone, and now, five minutes later, he’s still waiting for me right where I last saw him. What’s the reasonable assumption for him? Maybe that his initial suspicion was justified?
Al I am saying is that the one thing we know Martin did not do is try to run home. Another thing we can safely assume is that neither answered the other’s question. And I have a hard time jumping from that to second degree murder.