SANFORD, Fla. –  The small central Florida city of Sanford is returning to its regular rhythm, one year after the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Protesters are gone, and the downtown shopping district is back to its normal buzzing activity.

But beneath the usual pace of life lurks the memory of what happened a year ago Tuesday — the fatal shooting of a black 17-year-old teen by a neighborhood watch leader in a gated community.

In the following weeks, thousands of protesters marched through Sanford, demanding that Martin's shooter be arrested. They criticized the Sanford Police Department for what they called a delay in George Zimmerman's arrest.

Residents and officials say race relations in Sanford have improved since the shooting, but some worry about what might happen if Zimmerman is acquitted of second-degree murder.