The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it will not file charges against George Zimmerman, the Florida man who was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

According to the DOJ, the federal investigation against Zimmerman has been closed due to a lack of evidence to charge him with a hate crime.

"Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager's life," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division, according to ABC News. "Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases."

Justice Department officials met with Martin's parents to inform them that they will not be filing federal charges against Zimmerman.

Martin's case sparked national discussions over race relations in the U.S. since Martin was walking home with only Skittles and an iced tea in his hands when he appeared to be profiled by Zimmerman, who is white and Latino.

"The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy," Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement, reports the The New York Times. "It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country. Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man's premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface. We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future."

Martin, an unarmed African American teenager, was killed while he was walking through a gated community in Sanford, Florida after Zimmerman suspected him of being a burglar. Once Zimmerman confronted the boy, the two engaged in some type of confrontation. Zimmerman then fatally shot him, arguing that it was in self-defense. He was cleared of all charges in July 2013.

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