Malcolm X (47 page)

[BUREAU DELETION] ADVISED THERE WERE AISLES ON EACH SIDE OF BALLROOM, BUT NO CENTER AISLE. [BUREAU DELETION] SAT ABOUT MIDDLE OF THE SIXTH ROW. THE THREE ABOVE MENTIONED MEN SAT RIGHT OF CENTER IN THE THIRD ROW.

[BUREAU DELETION] NO INFO CONCERNING ANY PLANS OF RETALIATION BY MALCOLM/S FOLLOWERS.

[BUREAU DELETION]

ANY ADDITIONAL INFO DEVELOPED [BUREAU DELETION]
WILL IMMEDIATELY BE FURNISHED THE BUREAU AND NEW YORK.

SECRET LHM FOLLOWS.

WA F OR RELAY LRA

FBI WASH DC 0724

TU DISC

Date
February 24, 1965

[BUREAU DELETION]

[BUREAU DELETION] was at the rally in New York City on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom, where MALCOLM X was killed. This meeting was sponsored by the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU).

[BUREAU DELETION] arrived at the ballroom BENJAMIN X was speaking. MALCOLM X was not in sight. About 3
P.M.
MALCOLM X appeared on stage right and walked to the podium. BENJAMIN X then left the stage.

MALCOLM X gave the Muslim greeting, “As Salaam Alaikem,” and then said “Brothers and Sisters.” At this time a Negro male, wearing a three-quarter length black leather coat, pushed his chair back, stood up, and said to the Negro male sitting on his left “Get your hand out of my pocket.”

The Negro male who stood up was very dark complected, slender build, about 5'10” tallj weighing 160 pounds, age in the late twenties, lean face, with medium length straight hair.

This man then pushed his coat back and produced an object which looked to be metallic and raised his arm. At this point, people from the audience, which consisted of about four hundred individuals, began jumping to their feet. MALCOLM X told everyone to “take it easy.”

The next thing [BUREAU DELETION] was that [BUREAU DELETION] heard about four gunshots, which were fired in rapid order, and which sounded like they came from a semiautomatic pistol.

[BUREAU DELETION] then fell to the floor and [BUREAU
DELETION] believed [BUREAU DELETION] blood on MALCOLM X's face. While lying on the floor about five minutes later [BUREAU DELETION] heard at least ten or eleven more gunshots, which sounded like they came from the same type gun mentioned above and from the same location.

While still lying on the floor and immediately after the last burst of gunfire, [BUREAU DELETION] a man from the waist down walk [BUREAU DELETION] loading a gun clip [BUREAU DELETION] believed this clip to be smaller than a .45 caliber clip but could not be more specific. [BUREAU DELETION] did not believe this man to be the one wearing the black leather jacket, as his hands appeared to be those of a lightskinned Negro.

This man wore brown or Cordovan-colored shoes and had medium-sized feet. [BUREAU DELETION] he could furnish no further information regarding the murder of MALCOLM X, as the scene was, by this time, “utter confusion.”

[BUREAU DELETION] possessed no information concerning any plans of retaliation by the followers of MALCOLM X or any other individuals.

[BUREAU DELETION] did not know who shot MALCOLM nor did he see any firearms. [BUREAU DELETION] it appeared to him there was a definite lack of security at this rally. In addition, [BUREAU DELETION] there did not appear to be enough guards in the front of the hall nor any guards near the exits.

[BUREAU DELETION] the Audubon Ballroom is rectangular shaped, with exits at the left center side and left rear side. He said that chairs were set up in rows for the audience to sit in, with aisles on either side and an aisle down the middle. [BUREAU DELETION] the podium behind which MALCOLM X stood was directly in front of the center aisle.

[BUREAU DELETION] The man who stood up, mentioned above, sat about in the middle of the left row of chairs, about three rows [BUREAU DELETION] and about four rows from the front row of chairs.

[BUREAU DELETION] that MALCOLM X was the leader of the OAAU and Muslim Mosque, Inc., (MMI).

MEMORANDUM

Malcolm K. Little, leader of the Muslim Mosque, Incorporated (MMI), and the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), was shot and killed on the afternoon of February 21, 1965, at approximately 3:10
P.M
. while speaking at a meeting of the OAAU being held in the Audubon Ballroom, 166th Street and Broadway, New York City. The New York Office was immediately advised of the incident [BUREAU DELETION] who was present at the meeting.

[BUREAU DELETION] was [BUREAU DELETION] at the back of the hall when someone in the audience called out indicating that his pocket had been picked. [BUREAU DELETION] observed two men standing near the front of the hall in about the third or fourth row, apparently firing some sort of weapons. He also recalls seeing two other men standing at the time, one several feet behind the first two, and the other several feet to the side. He presumed that they were also involved in the shooting. [BUREAU DELETION] two
shots
and saw Malcolm X fall backward to the floor. He then heard a volley of shots, probably twenty. [BUREAU DELETION] believes the assailants were
also shooting at Malcolm's guards. At this point, [BUREAU DELETION] ran to the foyer of the hall and [BUREAU DELETION] which commanded a view of the entrance to the hall. He observed a man, later identified as John Hagen, running down the aisle crouching and weaving with a .45 caliber pistol in his hand. [BUREAU DELETION] one of Malcolm's followers who was behind the man, fired three shots, one of which evidently hit Hagen. [BUREAU DELETION] learned that Hagen was caught outside by Malcolm's followers.

[BUREAU DELETION] that one John Hagen, Negro male, age 22, was arrested when leaving the Audubon Ballroom by an officer stationed outside. During the arrest, a warning shot was fired in the air. A .45 caliber clip with four bullets was found in Hagen's pocket and it was discovered he was wounded in the left thigh. He is presently in Jewish Memorial Hospital under police detention. Hagen subsequently identified by Identification Division through fingerprints, submitted by New York Police Department, as Talmadge Hayer, also known as Thomas Hayer, FBI Number 142496F, a Negro, born March 16, 1942, Hackensack, New Jersey. [BUREAU DELETION] Bureau files contain no other information identifiable with this individual.

An anonymous call was received by the New York Office. The caller indicated he had found a gun used in the shooting and would furnish the gun to Bureau Agents, but would not give it to the police. Upon arriving at the meeting place designated by the caller, the Agents [BUREAU DELETION] as the caller. [BUREAU DELETION] turned over a .45 caliber automatic, Model 1911, U. S. Army Serial Number 335055. [BUREAU DELETION] said he was at the meeting in back of the hall when he observed four or five men, all Negroes, standing approximately nine rows back from the stage firing weapons toward the stage. After firing, the men ran past him and as the third man passed, [BUREAU DELETION] knocking the .45 caliber automatic to the ground. [BUREAU DELETION] picked the gun up, attempting to fire the weapon at the man; however, the gun jammed. [BUREAU DELETION] said there were three rounds left in the chamber. He stated he could possibly identify the fourth man, but not the man that dropped the gun. The weapon
was turned over to the New York Police Department. [BUREAU DELETION] would not indicate whether he intended to make his identity known to the New York police.

[BUREAU DELETION] has recovered a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun, Model 1017, J. C. Higgins, from the hall where the shooting occurred. The police believe the shotgun, which was recently fired and contained #0 buckshot shells, was used in the shooting. In addition to the shotgun, the [BUREAU DELETION] believe two other guns were used, a .45 caliber automatic and a .9 millimeter automatic.

[BUREAU DELETION] Negro male, [BUREAU DELETION] was shot in the left foot and is presently confined in the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Other witnesses being questioned by the police are [BUREAU DELETION].

The New York Office was instructed to alert [BUREAU DELETION] the Nation of Islam (NOI) and MMI as well as [BUREAU DELETION] to report any information indicating there might be retaliatory riots and information indicating the involvement of any organization. New York Office was instructed to not furnish the New York Police Department with any information developed without prior Bureau clearance. New York Office has alerted pertinent offices where MMI and NOI are active, to alert their sources for any information bearing on the situation. Information concerning the assassination of Little was telephonically furnished to the Duty Officer, [BUREAU DELETION] Secret Service. Pertinent information was also furnished to Acting Assistant Attorney General John Doar of the Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Attorney General J. Walter Yeagley of the Interna] Security Division, and to Mr. DeLoach's office.

You will be kept advised of pertinent developments.

Up to now, this appears to be a murder case, basically a problem of the New York Police Department, and the FBI should not become involved. We are maintaining contact with the New York Police Department for any information of Bureau interest. As indicated above, [BUREAU DELETION].

MEMORANDUM

At 1:45
A.M
., February 22, 1965, [BUREAU DELETION] New York
Office, telephonically
furnished the following additional information which had been received from the [BUREAU DELETION]:

The autopsy of subject's body was concluded and there was found: one .45 caliber slug, one nine millimeter slug from an automatic, and several pellets from a shotgun. There were ten holes in the body; seven of which were in the left chest (probably from shotgun blast), two in left thigh and one in left ankle. There were also four creases, three of which were across the chest and one on right knee of Little.

In addition to the above, [BUREAU DELETION] stated that the police found the following items from a search of the Audubon Ballroom where Little was killed:

1. One “sawed-off” two-barrel shotgun with two “expended” shells in the chambers. The shells (which had been discharged) were 12 gauge Remington Express, Single 0 buckshot. The shotgun was found wrapped in a jacket. A search of the jacket by the New York City Police Department revealed one Yale key, some cigarettes, and an empty case for eyeglasses. On top of the case was the following: M. M. Pine, Optometrist, 3901 Main Street, Flushing, New York.