The Gainesville Sun reports that the attack occurred at about 2:45a.m. The victim told police that the group of men got out of a car and told him he was walking too slowly, before yelling ‘Trayvon” and attacking.
Gainesville, Florida, police are investigating what they believe may have been a “racially motivated” attack early Tuesday morning stemming from the nationally covered Trayvon Martin case involving the tragic death of an unarmed 17-year-old.
According to local news affiliates, a 27-year-old Gainesville man was walking home from the bars early Tuesday morning when he said he was jumped by five to eight men who yelled “Trayvon” before the attack. The call before the attack appears to be in reference to the Sandford case that has rocked national headlines, and led to broader societal discussions on crime and race. News4Jax reports:
Gainesville investigators told The Gainesville Sun that they believe Tuesday morning’s attack stemmed from the Martin case.
“We do believe that the crime was racially motivated,” Gainesville Police Department spokeswoman Cpl. Angelina Valuri said.
Valuri said the victim was white and the attackers were black.
Police said the victim had been drinking, so the only description he had of the attackers or their vehicle was that is was a mid-size vehicle. But Valuri did say that the victim’s injuries were consistent with being jumped by a group.
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