Throughout the United States and indeed many parts of the world, heated discussion has taken place over the fatal shooting of a teenager by a man connected with a neighbourhood watch programme.Although the incident occurred over a month ago in Sanford, Orlando Florida, the impact of what followed has impacted the American justice system and raised questions over whether certain laws should be reviewed, or even struck down to avoid this type of tragedy.The United States Congress has weighed in on this incident as a massive groundswell of protest by many thousands across the nation continues to create an uneasy feeling over what is seen as racial profiling which was believed to be at the centre of what transpired.What perhaps touched off this firestorm of emotion mainly resulted from what did not happen moments after the shooting that left a 17-year-old boy on the pavement dead with a bottle of juice and a bag of Skittles nearby. The police refused to make an arrest even though it was clear the boy was unarmed.Here we have a young boy dead and the man who pulled the trigger claiming it was self-defence. The police department responding, saying they could find no reasons to arrest the shooter. Under the Stand Your Ground law, a person in Florida is allowed to take any action that could include killing a person, if they fear for their life.This law is being looked at more closely in light of the Trayvon killing since some experts felt it could be misused as an excuse to harm another person legally.Now the storm of protest has drifted far beyond details and facts surrounding the case to one highlighting racial tones since the boy was black and the shooter was white. Not difficult to understand with America’s history of racism following the civil war which the late Dr Martin Luther King devoted his life to eradicate.The Trayvon Martin case in fact drew a response from the President of the Unites States Barak Obama, who said a full probe into the circumstances must be carried out. The tragedy shook the nation to a point where the boy’s parents appeared before Congress to express their concerns for justice.This incident probably would never have exploded into such a firestorm of controversy had the Sandford Police Department arrested the shooter that night which would have opened the door for a full investigation into how and why this happened. It was the inaction in this area that started the ball rolling with widespread anger that the police were more interested in protecting the shooter George Zimmerman. Criticism was so severe the police chief was forced to step down.Several confusing factors surrounding the incident almost demand an arrest and a trial in order to set the record straight. Zimmerman reportedly told police that Martin attacked him from behind smashing his head to the pavement and he was left with no choice but to use his weapon.Even more confusing is how tape recordings reveal that Zimmerman told police he was following Martin because he looked suspicious and seemed up to no good. Police told him they would rather he not do that. The point is if Zimmerman was following Martin at what stage did Martin end up behind him.The sad part about this incident is that if Zimmerman’s version was true, then his telling police he was following the young man who he claimed looked suspicious, could not have happened. The important factor is that an arrest and a court trial would be the place to fully sort out what exactly happened.Otherwise emotions and tempers might slip over the edge as radical groups threaten to take the law in their hands to seek justice. Right thinking people who believe in law and order know that would be a negative move. On the other hand it is doubtful that anyone would contemplate such action if they had confidence in the justice system.All the protests so far have included black and white people who are hoping authorities will do the right thing to bring closure to a tragedy that should have never happened.