Outrage, protests grow over shooting of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin

SANFORD, Florida (CNN) -- Outrage over the killing of an unarmed Florida teen rippled nationwide as supporters planned more protests Wednesday and a petition demanding the shooter's arrest amassed nearly 1 million signatures.

Trayvon Martin was fatally shot February 26 while walking to the house of his father's fiancee in Sanford after a trip to a convenience store.

George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader, said he shot the teen in self-defense.

Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged in the killing of the black teenager. A police report describes Zimmerman as a white male, but his family says he is Hispanic.

Demonstrators demanded justice at a Tuesday night rally at a Sanford church, where Ben Jealous, the head of the NAACP, called for the police Chief Bill Lee's resignation.

Jealous said Lee's department mishandled the case by not arresting Zimmerman.

The U.S. Justice Department has also launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting. Jealous said the federal agency's decision to get involved has empowered Trayvon's supporters to stand their ground.

Nearly 750,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org demanding Zimmerman's arrest, making it one of the website's largest campaigns.

On Wednesday, supporters will gather in New York City for a "Million Hoodie March," a reference to the attire the 17-year-old was wearing when he was shot.

"A black person in a hoodie isn't automatically suspicious. Let's put an end to racial profiling," the protest page said.

The February 26 shooting occurred when Zimmerman -- who was patrolling the neighborhood -- saw the teen walking home after buying candy and a drink at a convenience store.

Zimmerman called 911 and reported what he described as a suspicious person. A few moments later, several neighbors called the emergency number to report a commotion outside.

Heated debate erupted over whether Zimmerman used a racial slur during the 911 call released this week.

"We didn't hear it, however, I am not sure what was said. So I never said we missed a racist remark," said Sgt. David Morgenstern of the Sanford Police Department.

A top CNN audio engineer enhanced the sound of the 911 call and several members of CNN's editorial staff repeatedly reviewed the tape, but could reach no consensus that Zimmerman used a racial slur.

Benjamin Crump, the Martin family's attorney, said the 911 call was questionable even without the slur.

"Without even hearing the conflicting part, we did hear number one that he said 'these people,'" Crump told CNN. "What did he mean when he said 'these people?' He also profiled him because he was a young black person with a hood on.

"So it goes without saying, even if you don't get to the thing that everyone is debating, he already had a mentality when he got out of that car that this was a young black man and he had assumed that he was a criminal, and you know what happens when you assume," Crump said.

While some neighbors were still on the phone with the emergency dispatchers, cries for help followed by a gunshot sounded in the background.

"The time that we heard the whining and then the gunshot, we did not hear any wrestling, no punching, no fighting, nothing to make it sound like there was a fight," said Mary Cutcher, one of the callers.

Cutcher said Zimmerman was confused after the shooting.

"He'd pace and go back to the body and just like -- I don't know if he was kind of 'Oh, my God, what did I do? what happened?' " she said.

Another caller, Selma Mora Lamilla, said she did not hear any altercation, but the teen cried and "whimpered" before the shooting.

She described Zimmerman as "straddling" the teen after the shooting, saying he was "on his knees on top of a body."

Crump said Martin's girlfriend was on the phone with him during the incident and can help prove he was killed "in cold blood."

The girl connects the dots and "completely blows Zimmerman's absurd self-defense claim out of the water," Crump told reporters Tuesday.

Shortly before he was shot, the teen told his girlfriend that someone was following him, and he was trying to get away, according to the lawyer. The girl, who did not want to be identified, said that during the call, she heard the teen ask why the person was following him.

She got the impression there was an altercation in which his earpiece fell out after he was pushed and the connection went dead, Crump said.

She did not hear any gunfire, he said.

Phone records show the teen was on the phone with her much of the day, including around the time of the killing, the lawyer said.

A Seminole County grand jury will convene April 10 on the matter, State Attorney Norm Wolfinger said in a statement.

Martin's family said they believe race was a factor in his death, fueling an outcry in the racially mixed community 16 miles northeast of Orlando.

Zimmerman's family has denied race played a role, saying he has many minority relatives and friends.

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