By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY
No. 1 New York Knicks fan Spike Lee says he's "deeply" sorry for re-tweeting what he thought was the Florida address of accused Trayvon Martin killer George Zimmerman.
Turns out it was the address of a David and Elaine McClain. The elderly Sanford, Fla., couple say they were forced to flee their home for fear of vigilante violence. T
hey've hired an attorney with an eye toward a possible lawsuit against the famous film director.
The furor started last Friday when Lee re-tweeted the post of a tweeter who thought he'd uncovered the address of Zimmerman, the 28-year old Neighborhood Watch coordinator who shot the 17-year old Martin to death Feb. 26 igniting a national and international debate over racial profiling.
The Martin case has become a cause celebre in the normally apolitical sports world. LeBron James and other Miami Heat players posted a photo of themselves wearing hoodies similar to the one Martin wore on the night of his death.
On Wednesday night, Lee fessed up to his online blunder to his 250,590 followers on Twitter: I Deeply Apologize To The McClain Family For Retweeting Their Address. It Was A Mistake.Please Leave The McClain's In Peace. Justice In Court.
The McClains have a son named William George Zimmerman who lived at the address in the mid-1990's. But there's no relation between the family and George Zimmerman, who claims to have shot Martin in self-defense.
The McClains have hired a law firm named Morgan & Morgan to represent them. Attorney Matt Morgan declined to comment to the Orlando Sentinel on whether he'll pursue litigation against Lee. He said the couple, both in their 70's, have moved into a hotel out of fear for their lives.
"At this point, they've had to move out of their home and their lives have been upended," Morgan told the Orlando Sentinel. See photos of: LeBron James, Miami Heat, Spike Lee, Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman
USA Today