George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood-watch volunteer who shot and killed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, said he would sell the gun he used in the shooting at auction on Thursday.

Zimmerman listed the gun on GunBroker.com, describing it as "the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin," advertising the sale as "your opportunity to own a piece of American history."

The Kel-Tec PF-9 9-millimeter pistol had a starting price of $5,000.

Zimmerman, 32, was a neighborhood watch volunteer in February 2012 when he shot and killed 17-year-old Martin as he walked down the street in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.

He was acquitted of second degree murder in July 2013, setting off protests nationwide over Florida's "stand your ground" gun laws.

The case prompted protests and a national debate about race relations.

Zimmerman has since had several run-ins with the law.

Last year, he was accused of assault by his girlfriend, but she later withdrew the complaint.

In September 2014, he allegedly threatened a man during a road rage incident on a Florida highway, but police released him because the man did not want to press charges.

In 2013, his estranged wife at the time, Shellie Zimmerman, called police to say her husband had threatened her with a gun, but she too failed to press charges.

Source:AFP