Gun Used In Emmett Till’s Lynching On Display 70 Years After Murder

UNITED STATES – The gun used in the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till is now on public display 70 years after his murder.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History unveiled the .45-caliber pistol and holster on Thursday, the anniversary of Till’s death.

The weapon belonged to John William “J.W.,” who along with Roy Bryant abducted and killed Till after he was accused of whistling at a white woman – the men were acquitted by an all-white-male jury.

The gun will be part of the Emmett Till Exhibit at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, a reminder of a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement and the legacy that continues to inspire change.