martin luther king, jr. was staying at the gaston motel when it was bombed on may 11th. fortunately, he had departed earlier. in the residence of a.d. king, king's younger brother, another explosion exploded. in response to the explosions, the demonstrators became more violent. they rioted across the city, torching buildings and cars and assaulting police officers. to restore control, soldiers from the united states army were dispatched.