The Department of Justice has decided not to charge George Zimmerman in the 2012 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The DOJ announced Tuesday there is not enough evidence to charge Zimmerman with violating Martin's civil rights.

Martin was shot Feb. 26, 2012 at the Retreat at Twin Lakes subdivision in Sanford by Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

A jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder July 13, 2013 after claiming he shot the teen in self-defense.

Zimmerman's attorney, Don West, said they were relieved, but not surprised by the Dept. of Justice's ruling.

"We have maintained all along that race played no part in the events surrounding Trayvon Martin's tragic death in February 2012. Mr. Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in the state prosecution where the state prosecutor could have offered evidence of racial discrimination if it existed. No such evidence of racial motive was identified or presented. The jury in the state prosecution was satisfied that George Zimmerman acted in lawful self-defense. Their verdict should be respected. After an exhaustive and thorough re-examination of the state prosecution and an independent investigation by the federal government, the Department of Justice concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Zimmerman with a federal hate crime. We agree with their decision and are relieved that this case is now finally concluded."

That probe focused on whether the killing amounted to a federal civil rights violation, which would have required proof that it was motivated by racial animosity. Although Martin's parents have said Zimmerman initiated the fight, the Justice Department said there was not enough evidence to establish that Zimmerman willfully deprived Martin of his civil rights a difficult legal standard to meet or killed the teenager on account of his race.

"This decision is limited strictly to the department's inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statutes; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting," the Justice Department said in a news release announcing the decision Tuesday.

The decision to not prosecute Zimmerman comes even though Holder has made civil rights a cornerstone of his tenure. The Justice Department is also moving to resolve a separate high-profile civil rights case the August shooting by a Ferguson police officer of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. The killing sparked weeks of protests.

Legal analyst Mark NeJame said hate crimes are very difficult to prosecute.

"It was impossible from the information that came out in the course of the trial the facts we understood them to be that there was ever going to be a prosecution with the feds over this case.  It just simply was not going to happen," said Nejame.  "If there had been a history of George Zimmerman with bigotry then it might have been an easier case to prove if, in fact, some of that could have gotten into evidence."

Days after Zimmerman was acquitted, Holder said he considered Martin's death an "unnecessary shooting." In a news release Tuesday, Holder echoed remarks he made in the shooting's aftermath.

"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," Holder said. "We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future."

Martin's family distraught over ruling

The family of Trayvon Martin issued the following statement through their attorneys:

"We would like to thank the Department of Justice for their extensive and thorough investigation into the killing of our son.

We would also like to thank the millions of people around the world who have supported us through prayer and vigilance. 

Although we are disappointed in these findings, it has steeled our resolve to continue traveling the country with the message of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting our youth and empowering those who demand justice and peace.

We remain poised to do everything in our power to help eradicate senseless violence in our communities, because we don't want any other parents to experience the unexplainable loss we have endured.     

We will never, ever forget what happened to our son, Trayvon, and will honor his memory by working tirelessly to make the world a better place."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.