Rev. Jesse Jackson recalls witnessing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 assassination

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson died at 84; he had been one of the witnesses to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968 and spoke about that day on its 50th anniversary.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader and longtime public figure, died early Tuesday at age 84. Decades earlier, in April 1968, he stood with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel and witnessed King's assassination. Jackson was in his mid-20s at the time and had been mentored by King. On the 50th anniversary of that day he spoke about the loss and its lasting effect on him. Key details: - Rev. Jesse Jackson died early Tuesday at age 84. - In April 1968 Jackson was standing with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the Lorraine Motel balcony when King was assassinated. - Jackson was about 26 at the time and had been mentored by King. - On the 50th anniversary Jackson described ongoing pain and emphasized that the movement continued after King's death. Summary: Jackson's passing closes a chapter in the civil rights era marked by personal loss and long-standing public work. Undetermined at this time.