who was with mlk when he was assassinated

Martin Luther King Jr. was on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel with several close associates nearby, most notably Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles, when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Quick Scoop

Who was physically closest?

Most historical accounts describe Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles as standing just a few feet away from King on the balcony at the moment the shot was fired. King was leaning over the railing, talking with people in the courtyard below, when he was struck. Rev. Ralph Abernathy, King’s closest friend and colleague, had just come out of their shared room (306) and was also on or at the doorway to the balcony area at that time.

Others present at the motel

Several members of King’s team were in the courtyard and nearby rooms at the Lorraine Motel, including:

• Jesse Jackson, a young aide and activist in King’s circle.

• Other staff from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), who were down in the courtyard or in adjacent rooms preparing to leave for dinner.

They were all gathered in Memphis to support the striking sanitation workers, and many were getting ready to go to dinner with King when the shot was fired.

Short context of the moment

King and Abernathy had just finished getting dressed in room 306 to go to dinner at Rev. Kyles’s home. When they stepped out, King paused on the balcony to joke with Jesse Jackson and to talk with his driver, Solomon Jones, who urged him to put on a coat because it was cool outside. Seconds later, the assassin’s bullet struck King as he stood on that balcony.

TL;DR: When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles was standing only a few feet away on the balcony, with Rev. Ralph Abernathy just outside room 306 and other colleagues like Jesse Jackson in the courtyard below.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.