The acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting and death of Trayvon Martin set the Twittersphere ablaze this weekend. The jury accepted the argument that Mr. Zimmerman acted in self-defense, or used necessary force to prevent serious harm to himself. Mr. Martin was unarmed during the unfortunate event, and was walking through a residential neighborhood in Sanford, Fla. The verdict prompted a social media debate, which was a mix of support and outrage.

According to a New York Times blog post, on Twitter alone, “more than a million posts about the verdict went up in the 12 hours after it was announced Saturday night.” From expressing deep relief to voicing injustice and utter confusion – It’s safe to say there was quite a variety of responses.

While sifting through the many tweets about the trial, many saw that the family members from both parties took to social media as well.

Tweets from the parents of Mr. Martin:

As well as posts from Mr. Zimmerman’s brother:

Many celebrities posted on social media as well, commenting about the acquittal:

According to NPR, officials and leaders were prepared for potential rioting and race wars after the trial. However, since social media acted as a digital diary to vent or celebrate, people released all of their emotions by tweeting, posting rather than displaying social unrest.