Story highlights
- TMZ publishes a photo of George Zimmerman shaking hands with an apparent employee
- Zimmerman's brother, Robert, confirmed to CNN that it was George in the photo
- The site says Zimmerman asked about a compact shotgun while there
- Zimmerman was acquitted last month of the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin
George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin last month, visited a gun manufacturer Thursday, TMZ reported.
The celebrity gossip site TMZ published a picture of Zimmerman smiling and shaking hands with someone it said was an employee of the gunmaker, Kel-Tec. It said Zimmerman asked about the KSG compact 12-gauge shotgun while he was there.
Zimmerman's brother, Robert, confirmed to CNN by text message that is was George in the photo.
Kel-Tec is headquartered in Cocoa, Florida. The company manufactures, assembles and repairs its line of weapons, and its facility contains a shooting range but does not sell guns, according to its website.
Kel-Tec manufactures the PF-9, the type of gun Zimmerman used to shoot Martin.
A jury acquitted Zimmerman in July of second-degree murder in Martin's February 2012 death. The neighborhood watch volunteer, now 29, killed the 17-year-old as he walked to his father's fiancee's house through a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
George Zimmerman may face civil suit 04:18
Zimmerman had called 911 to report Martin as a suspicious person. He acknowledges killing Martin but says it was in self-defense after the two had a confrontation.
His parents said Zimmerman and his family received many death threats after the acquittal. Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, described his client as a marked man who wore a disguise and often strapped on body armor when he left home.
O'Mara said Zimmerman must now be protective of his safety because of the threats against him.
TMZ also reported that O'Mara went to the gun facility with Zimmerman, but O'Mara told CNN he was not there and was in court at the time.
