WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of the day the world lost Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 4, 1968 King was shot and killed while he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King was supposed to be in Wilmington on the day he was murdered in Memphis. To honor his life and legacy, a 50th anniversary commemoration event is happening Wednesday evening at Williston Middle School. The event will celebrate the life of Dr. King and his commitment to promoting peace, social justice and reconciliation. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is the ceremony's keynote speaker. "His death was a tragedy, and it snuffed out his mortal life, but his heavenly life lives on. His spirit lives on," Cooper said at an event on Tuesday. Wednesday's commemoration event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The event officially begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the event, click here.
