Charlotte residents discuss Trayvon Martin case

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly 200 locals gathered tonight at the Little Rock Ame Zion church in Charlotte to discuss the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, just hours after the Florida prosecutor announced that George Zimmerman is the man responsible for his death.

The community meeting was arranged for members of the area to have the chance to open-endedly discuss the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Several people of different ages attended the meeting and gave their perspectives on the shooting.

Charlotte resident Joe Hamby said he is "concerned for young black men in our community, they are the targets of violence in a lot of ways and the targets of perception, right or wrong."

A panel including a child advocate, a black teenage high-school student, a diversity specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, an attorney and a journalist spoke to the crowd about the factors that played into this case. Panel members gave their personal opinions on the impact of the murder.

Community members then divided into smaller groups and spoke on the likelihood of a similar shooting occurring in Charlotte.

"I hope that people will walk away with their own personal goals when it comes to really understanding why this happened and making sure we do whatever we can do to make sure it doesn't happen again in our own community," said local resident Sam Clowney.

WSOC