Matthew Apperson, the 38-year-old man who shot at George Zimmerman's car in a road rage fight in May of 2015, was handed a 20-year prison sentence Monday. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Circuit Judge Debra Nelson gave Apperson the mandatory minimum sentence for his convictions, which include attempted second degree murder, armed aggravated assault, and shooting into a vehicle.
Apperson was found guilty of the charges in August, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Before the judge handed down the sentence, Apperson's wife, Lisa Apperson, asked the judge to throw out the charges and stated that local authorities had "given George Zimmerman a golden ticket to go out and do whatever he wants to do." During the trial, Apperson claimed he was acting in self-defense.
Noting the irony that a man is being jailed for shooting but not killing Zimmerman, who walks free in Florida after shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012, many people have spoken up about Apperson's sentencing on Twitter:
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Apperson's lawyer is planning to appeal.
