The Most Notable Assassins in U.S. History

James Earl Ray, 1968
On the evening of April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down while speaking on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. A single bullet to the head ended the life of the 39-year-old civil rights leader and prompted race riots in dozens of cities nationwide. James Earl Ray confessed to the killing — sparing himself a jury trial and death sentence — and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Ray later alleged conspiracy and proclaimed his innocence but never provided hard facts to clear his name.

• Mourning the Victims of the Arizona Shooting