Martin Luther King Jr. was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel. Suddenly, a sniper’s bullet struck him in the face, causing severe injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later. This tragic event triggered nationwide riots and marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. The precise origin of the shot was traced back to a nearby boarding house, where the murder weapon was discovered.