Crime | George Zimmerman George Zimmerman Road-Rage Incident Ends in 20-Year Sentence Matthew Apperson was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Oct 17, 2016 10:48 AM CDT Copied Matthew Apperson enters a Seminole County courtroom before the start of his trial on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 in Sanford, Fla. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP, Pool) A Florida man who fired at George Zimmerman's vehicle during a road-rage confrontation has been sentenced to 20 years in prison; that's the minimum sentence mandated by the state. The Orlando Sentinel reports that at the sentencing hearing Monday morning, Zimmerman said 38-year-old Matthew Apperson showed no regard for human life during the May 2015 confrontation, and even seemed joyful because he mistakenly thought he'd killed Zimmerman. Zimmerman is the former neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted of second-degree murder after fatally shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012. Apperson was convicted by a Seminole County jury last month of attempted second-degree murder, armed aggravated assault, and shooting into a vehicle. Apperson testified at trial that he acted in self-defense after Zimmerman flashed a gun. Zimmerman disputed that. Read These Next Beyonce leaves national anthem unfinished. Musk says his new party is in business. See the best BBQ cities in the US. Iraq's national game of deception brings out the best bluffers. Report an error