BREAKING: George Zimmerman reportedly to be charged in #Trayvon shooting (UPDATED)

The Washington Post has the scoop:

Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 0the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.

It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face.

Martin, 17 and unarmed, was shot and killed Feb. 26 by Zimmerman, who said he was acting in self-defense. Police in Sanford, Fla., where the shooting took place, did not charge Zimmerman, citing the state’s “stand your ground” law.

Corey told reporters Tuesday night that she would hold a news conference about the case within 72 hours. A news release from her office said the event will be held in Sanford or Jacksonville, Fla.

[…]

The announcement of a charge against Zimmerman would come a day after Zimmerman’s attorneys withdrew from the case, citing their inability to contact Zimmerman.

Lawyers Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig on Tuesday expressed concern about Zimmerman’s emotional and physical well-being, saying he has taken actions without consulting them. They also said they do not know where Zimmerman is.

“You can stop looking in Florida,” Uhrig told reporters. “Look much further away than that.”

The Martin family attorney says the announcement will be coming “shortly”:

An announcement of possible charges in the Trayvon Martin shooting is expected “shortly,” the attorney for Martin’s parents said at a news conference Wednesday.

Authorities in Sanford, Fla. — where George Zimmerman, 28, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin, 17, on Feb. 26 — also began preparing for an announcement from Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to re-examine the case, NBC station WESH of Orlando reported. Seminole County sheriff’s deputies spent Wednesday morning setting up barricades along the booking area for new inmates at the county jail. 

Obviously, this is a developing story – so stay tuned.  I’ll check in when I can with any further developments.

Update – 3:02 PM: NBC is reporting that the special prosecutor (Angela Corey) will make her announcement at around 6pm ET.