Spike Lee Apologizes for Trayvon Retweet

UPDATE: Spike Lee has apologized for distributing a tweet that provided an inaccurate address for George Zimmerman's whereabouts, forcing an elderly Sanford-area couple to flee their home. 

The McClains, who have a son named William George Zimmerman, received hate mail, threats, and visits from reporters looking for Zimmerman (who is of no relation to them) after a post that Lee retweeted indicated that their address was that of the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin.

Lee's apology, issued on Twitter Wednesday night, reads: "I Deeply Apologize To The McClain Family For Retweeting Their Address.It Was A Mistake.Please Leave The McClain's In Peace.Justice In Court."

Wednesday, March 28: An elderly couple has fled their Sanford-area home after a tweet—disseminated by Spike Lee—mistakenly gave their address as that of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin in Florida last month. 

The Orlando Sentinel reports that David (72) and Elaine McClain (70) received hate mail, threats, and visits from reporters looking for Zimmerman after their address was incorrectly pegged as that of the man who killed Martin last month in what he says was self-defense.

Elaine McClain has a son named William George Zimmerman, no relation to the Zimmerman in question. The couple is currently living in a hotel.

The Smoking Gun traced the original tweet back to a California man, who apparently sent a tweet containing the incorrect address to Lee and other celebrities with a request for a retweet. Lee obliged, retweeting it to his 240,000 followers last Friday. He's since removed the post, but it continues to bounce around Twitter.

William Zimmerman told the Sentinel that he lived at his mother and step-father's house briefly after college. He registered to vote, got a driver's license, and registered a car at that address.