Huey P. Newton, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was tragically shot and killed on August 22, 1989, in Oakland, California. He was 47 years old. Newton’s death came at the hands of a member of the Black Guerrilla Family, a prison gang that had ties to the drug trade. The exact reasons behind the killing remain debated, with some suggesting that Newton’s involvement in the drug scene and tensions between him and other members of the Black Guerrilla Family may have played a role.

Newton’s death marked the end of an era for the Black Panther Party, which he helped found in 1966 with Bobby Seale, as a revolutionary organization advocating for black empowerment, self-defense, and social justice. Despite the turbulent nature of his later years, Newton’s legacy in the civil rights movement remains significant.