King, Alberta (1904-1974)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1974 Jul 4 p. 1, 3

Birth date: 1904

text of obituary:

Shooting in Atlanta Saddens Nation

Americans expressed sadness and anger on Sunday following the fatal shooting in Atlanta, Ga. of Mrs. Alberta King, 70, mother of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who died from an assassin's bullet on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39.

Rep Clarence Brown of Ohio, home state of the young black man responsible for the shooting, said it was "a tragic act of violence that makes no sense." Similar feelings were expressed by Sen. Robert Taft of Ohio. President Nixon, in Russia for summit talks, was reported "saddened by the tragic and senseless act."

Mrs. King was at the organ of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Sunday morning as the choir led the congregation in "The Lord's Prayer" when a visiting black youth, 23-year-old Marcus Wayne Chenault of Dayton, Ohio, jumped to his feet with a revolver in each hand. he cried out and then shot Mrs. King several times, leaped into the choir loft and began firing wildly. Edward Boykin, 69, a church deacon, was fatally wounded and a 65-year-old woman was hit but is recovering.

After Chenault apparently ran out of bullets, he was subdued by church members. He was jailed and charged on four counts, among them two counts of murder. He told the Atlanta assistant chief of police that "he received orders from his God to come to Atlanta and kill Rev. Martin Luther King Sr." Rev. King was in the congregation, but Chenault said he shot Mrs. King because she was nearest to him.

During his arraignment in court on Monday, the short, boyish looking Chenault stated, "My name is Servant Jacob. I'm a Hebrew. I was sent here on a purpose and it's partly accomplished."

The death of Mrs. King was the third tragedy to strike the family of Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. Another son, A. D. King, drowned in the swimming pool at his home the year after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.