Gun Zimmerman Used to Kill Trayvon Pulled from Auction

The gun that George Zimmerman used to kill black teen Trayvon Martin seems to have been pulled from the auction site where he listed it today, shortly after the shooter -- who was acquitted of second-degree murder in the case -- attempted to sell the weapon. The gun was removed from the auction site within an hour of when the bidding went live.

The auction for the 9mm pistol that Zimmerman, 32, said he used to shoot and kill Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, went live today on gunbroker.com. The gun was subsequently removed from the auction site, with an error message in its place.

Zimmerman is determined, however, to sell his gun. This afternoon he told the Orlando Sentinel, "It has now been placed with another auction house."

"The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin," Zimmerman wrote on the auction site, in a since removed post. "Many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm including The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. This is a piece of American History."

The Smithsonian Museum quickly rebutted this claim in a tweet, saying they, "never expressed interest in collecting George Zimmerman's firearm."

The sale has also attracted the attention of Hillary Clinton, who tweeted a message of support to the mother of Trayvon Martin.

In an interview with FOX station WOGX-TV in Ocala, Florida, Zimmerman confirmed that he put the firearm used in the killing of Martin on the auction block.

"I'm a free American, I can do what I like with my possessions," he said, adding, "it's time to move past the firearm, and if I sell it and it sells, and I move past it."

The auction went live at 11 a.m. ET today with bids starting at $5,000. Almost 50,000 visited the page, according to the site.

It has been more than four years since the fatal confrontation took place in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Martin, 17, was returning to a relative's house after leaving a convenience store when he was shot by Zimmerman.

Prosecutors accused Zimmerman of profiling Martin as a criminal, possibly because of his race, and following him with a loaded gun. Zimmerman maintained that he shot Martin in self-defense after he was knocked to the ground and Martin was banging his head against the pavement. Zimmerman has a Hispanic mother and a white father. Martin was black.

A Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in July 2013.

The trial sparked rallies across the country and created a national debate over law enforcement deaths of black men and boys.