April 4,1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated outside his motel room at the Lorraine Motel. King's death lit fired to enormous riots and looting in urban areas all throughout the United States. His death also brought the fight for civil rights to a close ("Martin Luther King Jr.: assassination", 1).
King went to Memphis to show his support for striking sanitation workers. MLK was shot waving to a crowd from the balcony of his motel room.( as you can see in the picture on the left) His death really shook the nation. Thousands of people looked up to MLK and were devasted by his death. The riots that broke out were so dangerous that troops were posted all around D.C, especially infront of the White House and Capitol. 46 people died and hundreds were injured ("Martin Luther King Jr.: assassination", 1).
King went to Memphis to show his support for striking sanitation workers. MLK was shot waving to a crowd from the balcony of his motel room.( as you can see in the picture on the left) His death really shook the nation. Thousands of people looked up to MLK and were devasted by his death. The riots that broke out were so dangerous that troops were posted all around D.C, especially infront of the White House and Capitol. 46 people died and hundreds were injured ("Martin Luther King Jr.: assassination", 1).
On June 8, a man by the name James Earl Ray Jr. was arrested for King's murder. Ray pleaded that h was guilty to murdering King and he received a 99-year prison term. Critics were doubtful and Ray later recanted his confession. Ray died in 1988 before the new investigation, led by the King family, could begin. The investigation came to the conclusion that Lloyd Jowers, the owner of a cafe down the street of the motel, was apart of King's murder ("Martin Luther King Jr.: assassination", 1).
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