It’s only 6 o’clock. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot while standing on a balcony in front of his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
The civil rights leader had been in Memphis to support a sanitation workers’ strike, and he was on his way to dinner when a bullet struck him in the jaw, severing his spine. King was pronounced dead upon arrival at Memphis Hospital. He was 39 years old.
MLK Assassination
Martin Luther King’s Focus on Economic Inequality
In the months leading up to his assassination, Martin Luther King became increasingly concerned with economic inequality in the United States.
Campaign for Economic Justice
To address this problem, he organized a campaign for the poor, culminating in a march in Washington.
Memphis March and Tragedy
In March 1968, King traveled to Memphis to support mistreated African-American sanitation workers. A protest rally he led ended tragically with violence and the death of an African-American teenager.
Last Sermon and Assassination
On April 3, back in Memphis, King delivered his final sermon, expressing hope despite challenges ahead. The next day, he was assassinated.
Nationwide Unrest
News of the assassination sparked riots across the United States, leading to the deployment of National Guard troops in Memphis and Washington, D.C.
Funeral and Mourning
On April 9, tens of thousands paid their respects along the procession route as Martin Luther King Jr. was laid to rest in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Investigation and Capture of James Earl Ray
A Remington .30-06 rifle found near the scene implicated fugitive James Earl Ray. After an international manhunt, he was captured in London and sent to the United States.
Legal Proceedings
In March 1969, Ray confessed to King’s murder but later recanted, alleging a conspiracy involving a mysterious figure named “Raoul.”
Legacy and Controversies
Martin Luther King’s assassination sparked lasting debates on justice, conspiracy theories, and the ongoing fight for civil rights and economic equality in America.
Martin Luther King Death
Over the years, the House of Representatives Committee on Assassinations, the Shelby County, Tennessee, District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice have all reviewed the assassination three times.
All investigations ended with the same conclusion: James Earl Ray murdered Martin Luther King.
The House Committee acknowledged that there might have been a low-level conspiracy. It can be involving one or more of Ray’s employees. But if we look into the details no evidence was there to fully support this theory.
Ray had a clear motive for killing King: hatred, as evidenced by his fingerprint on the murder weapon and alleged presence near the scene on April 4.
According to his family and friends, he expressed racist sentiments and died in 1998.