martin luther king how did he die

Martin Luther King Jr. died after being shot by a single bullet fired by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. King was standing on a balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when he was shot in the right cheek. The bullet shattered his jaw, traveled down his spinal cord, and caused fatal injuries to vital arteries and the spinal column. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7:05 p.m. from a gunshot wound that caused hemorrhagic shock. King was 39 years old at the time of his death.