ORLANDO, Fla. - News 6 has learned that the online auction site for the gun that George Zimmerman used to shoot and kill Trayvon Martin that was open to the public was a fake auction and that a real auction for pre-qualified bidders only was underway privately. TMZ previously reported United Gun Group decided to pull the listing due to fake bids driving up the price.
– It looks like George Zimmerman has sold his gun after all. Both TMZ and WKMG report an online auction that ended Wednesday received a verified top bid of $120,000 for the weapon used to kill Trayvon Martin. A higher bid of nearly $140,000 by "John Smith" appeared to be bogus. In fact, WKMG reports that auction site United Gun Group actually had two auctions going—a fake one open to the public destined to attract pranksters like "John Smith," and a closed one made up of pre-qualified bidders. "I would like to thank and give the glory to God for a successful auction that has raised funds for several worthy causes," Zimmerman said in a statement addressed to "Fellow Patriots." The Trayvon Martin Foundation declined to comment. UGG tweeted that Zimmerman is "in the process of vetting several offers and verifying funds," adding, "Our part in this process is over and we are going to get back to business as usual." The site, though, is taking plenty of heat for facilitating the auction. "I hope you enjoy your time with the devil in hell," reads a representative tweet. Zimmerman's efforts to auction the 9mm pistol have not gone smoothly. Another site, GunBroker.com, backed out. And the fiirst attempt attracted several joke bids, such as the $65 million offered by "Weedlord Bonerhitler." (In a recent interview, an unrepentant Zimmerman said Martin's mother and father were bad parents who "didn't raise their son right.")