Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965, while beginning a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.

What happened that day?

  • Malcolm X went to the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights, Manhattan, to address a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, the group he founded after leaving the Nation of Islam.
  • There were about 400 people in the audience as he prepared to speak.
  • Just after he greeted the crowd, a disturbance broke out and someone shouted, “Get your hand out of my pocket!” (or similar words) a few rows back.
  • As his bodyguards turned toward the commotion, a man rushed forward and shot Malcolm X in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun.
  • Two other men then came toward the stage and fired semi‑automatic handguns, hitting him multiple times.
  • He was rushed across the street to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center but was pronounced dead at about 3:30 p.m.

How did he die?

  • An autopsy found he had been shot 21 times in the chest, left shoulder, arms, and legs.
  • Reports describe “dozen‑plus” bullets in his body and note that he was essentially killed on the spot by the close‑range shotgun blast and follow‑up shots.
  • He was 39 years old at the time of his death.

Who was blamed for the assassination?

  • One gunman, Talmadge Hayer (also known as Thomas Hagan), a member of the Nation of Islam, was caught at the scene after being shot in the leg by a bodyguard and then beaten by members of the crowd.
  • Witnesses identified two other Nation of Islam members, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, as the other gunmen.
  • All three men were convicted of murder in March 1966 and sentenced to life in prison.
  • At trial, Hayer admitted his role in the assassination but said Butler and Johnson were not involved.

Why is there still controversy?

Even decades later, there is debate over who exactly planned and carried out the killing, and whether law enforcement or intelligence agencies failed to prevent it or contributed to it.

  • Malcolm X had split from the Nation of Islam in 1964 and publicly criticized its leader, Elijah Muhammad, which created deep hostility and threats against him.
  • The official narrative for years was that Nation of Islam members alone were responsible.
  • Over time, researchers and Malcolm X’s family members have raised questions about the investigation, alleging that authorities such as the FBI, CIA, or New York police may have had information about threats and did not intervene, or may have played a role in creating the climate that led to his death.
  • A detailed re-examination of the case in recent years led to renewed scrutiny of the original convictions and broader questions about who “really” killed Malcolm X, beyond the three men who were first convicted.

Why it still matters today

  • Malcolm X was a major civil rights and Black nationalist leader whose speeches and ideas about Black pride, self‑defense, and global anti‑racist struggle continue to influence activism worldwide.
  • His assassination is often discussed alongside those of other 1960s leaders as a key turning point in the civil rights era and a symbol of how radical Black voices were silenced.

TL;DR: Malcolm X was gunned down on stage at the Audubon Ballroom in New York on February 21, 1965, after a staged disturbance allowed assassins to get close; three Nation of Islam members were convicted, but questions about who planned the killing and how much authorities knew or did remain a topic of ongoing debate.

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