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Zimmerman ‘distraught’ over Trayvon shooting: report

The Florida man who blew away an unarmed black teen is “distraught” over the incident and has been praying non-stop for the victim, according to a close family friend.

Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman has been in hiding ever since he gunned down defenseless Trayvon Martin, 17, on the streets of a gated community in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.

The killing has touched off a heated national dialogue on guns, Florida’s self-defense laws, race and hooded sweatshirts.

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Zimmerman’s pal Joe Oliver told People magazine that the despised, gun-toting volunteer will never be the same.

“He’s not the man that I knew before the shooting,” said Oliver, a former TV reporter who is African American.

“He’s a completely different man; he’ll never be the same. He prays for Trayvon and he prays for the Martin family. He is so distraught that he took a life. That’s the price he had to pay for saving his own.”

Cops so far have refused to arrest the 28-year-old Zimmerman, buying his story that the scrawny Martin posed a dangerous or life-threatening menace to him.

Martin was visiting the gated community with his dad, at his pop’s girlfriend’s house, The teen had just run out to a convenience store to grab a bag of Skittles and can of ice tea, before rushing back to watch the NBA All-Star Game.

On Martin’s way back, Zimmerman spotted him from his car and dialed 911 to report the “suspicious” figure. A police dispatcher told Zimmerman to back away, but he gave chase and Martin was fatally shot in the chest moments later.

Oliver repeated Zimmerman’s self-defense claim and rejected any hints that his pal fired on Martin just because the teen’s skin color.

Zimmerman’s dad is white and mom Peruvian.

“He’s not a racist,” said Oliver. “I wouldn’t be speaking out on his behalf if he were. This didn’t have anything to do with race. George was looking out for his neighborhood and he saw someone he didn’t recognize acting suspiciously. In his mind, he shot in self-defense. He felt he had no other choice.”