King Killed in Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn, (AP)- Nobel Laureat Martin Luther King Jr., father of non-violence in the American Civil Rights movement, was killed by an assissin's bullet Thursday night.
King, 39, died at St. Joseph's Hospital ac 7 p.m. of a bullet wound in the neck, Asst. hospital administrator Paul Hess confirmed.
Rifle-armed police blocked the front entrances to the hospital to hold back a crowd which gathered quickly.
Two unidentified men were arrested several blocks from where King was shot, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Hocel.
The Rev. Andrew Young, executive vice president of the Southern Chrlstian Leadership Conference headed by King, said the shot hit King in the neck and lower right part of his face.
"He didn't say a word; he didn't move," Young said.
Immediately after the shooting, the civil rights leader was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead a short time later.
The Lorraine Hotel is where King and his lieutenants have been staying pendmg a planned second mass downtown Memphis civil-rights march Monday,
King's death came only a night after he told associates that he was not disturbed by
reports that he would be subjected to yhysicai barm while in Memphis.
"He said he had reached the pinnacle of fulfillment with his nonviolent movement," Young said, "and these reports did not bother him."
Police said they found a .30-.06 rifle on Main Street about one block from the hotel, but It was not confirmed whether this was the murder weapon.
King came to Memphis Wednesday to take charge of continuing demonstrations in support of the city's 1,300 striking garbage collectors. A march led by King last Thursday erupted Into rioting in which one person was killed.
Another march had bee: planned.
National Guard troops rushed to Memplils to quel last week's riot but pullei out Wednesday night.
Gov. Buford Ellington alerted that King had been