A little over a week ago George Zimmerman was involved in a shooting. You probably recall the story since it was all over the web. And as with the link I just provided, that’s how it was described in headlines across the spectrum. George Zimmerman was involved in a shooting. And why would anyone be surprised? You know what a bad guy he is, right? He was probably just trying to gun down some other helpless citizen. But as it turns out, the story is a bit more complicated than the initial headlines indicated. Local police and one judge have finally gotten to the bottom of things.
A police report says a man charged with shooting at George Zimmerman last week had “a fixation” on the former neighborhood watch leader…
The report says Zimmerman told officers he had been driving in an Orlando suburb when Apperson got behind his truck and yelled, “You remember me?”
Zimmerman says he called Apperson a clown, and Apperson fired a gun at his car a short time later. Zimmerman suffered minor injuries. Apperson is charged with aggravated assault.
So the guy had basically been stalking Zimmerman. But remember… George Zimmerman was involved in a shooting.
The report made public Tuesday also says 36-year-old Matthew Apperson had recently been admitted to a mental institution and had shown signs of paranoia, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Apperson’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Wait… the guy was in a mental hospital? Paranoia? Yes, but…
George Zimmerman was involved in a shooting.
The local news reports had even more details of how this shook out.
According to the police report, two handguns – a .40-caliber and a .357 revolver – were recovered from Apperson’s vehicle. An expended .357 shell was found in the vehicle.
Police also recovered a gun from Zimmerman.
Apperson is charged with aggravated assault
Yes, Zimmerman was legally carrying a gun. Apperson, however, had two. And fired one of them. Zimmerman’s weapon was not fired. And Apperson has been charged with aggravated assault.
But George Zimmerman was involved in a shooting.
A judge set a $35,000 bond for Apperson and ordered him to turn in any guns to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and to have no contact with Zimmerman.
“I don’t care whether you’ve been shopping at Publix for two hours and have a full cart of groceries or whatever. You see Mr. Zimmerman walking through that door, you’re the one that has to leave,” the judge said.
Apperson has been ordered by the courts to avoid any contact and keep his distance under penalty of law. He has been told to turn in his guns because he has proven too irresponsible to exercise his Second Amendment rights. But let’s not lose sight of the important part of the story, folks.
George Zimmerman involved in Florida Shooting.
