Until this day, the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy remains unsolved. It has been a subject of controversy, mystery and extensive study for over four decades. The fact that the most powerful and influential figure in America can be killed in broad daylight was one of the most horrible and saddening events in modern history.
President Kennedy was on a visit to Dallas on November 22, 1963, and was riding a ceremonial motorcade with his wife, Jackie, along with Dallas governor John Connally and his wife (the driver was Secret Service agent Wiliam Greer).
Just as the motorcade passed the Texas Book Depository and proceeded towards Elms Street, a shot was heard (some witnesses claim that a couple of shots or more were heard, and Mrs. Kennedy believed it was similar to "firecracker" sounds). This did not kill Kennedy yet. He held both of his hands to his throat, as if he was choked and was trying to spit up a bullet. Mrs. Kennedy leaned toward the president to ask him what was wrong...
Here's a photo captured just after the first shot was heard:
Governor Connally, who was sitting in front of JFK, turned around to take a look at the president. Just when the governor did the said gesture, he felt a pain on his back near his right armpit, which he instantly recognized as a bullet shot, and he began to faint towards the direction of his wife. A split second later...the seemingly choking John F. Kennedy receives a fatal shot on the head while in the arms of his wife. He died instantly.
How Many Shots Were Fired And Where Did They Come From?
This is where the controversies begin. There are many theories regarding where the shots came from, and no one can discuss this matter without being flooded with an avalanche of research material. However here are some of the most POPULAR VIEWS that are worthy of our consideration:
View 1:
The shooter or shooters were located in the Texas Book Depository - This building was behind Kennedy's limousine. That would mean that the shooter or shooters took the shots from behind the president, using sniper rifle/s on an elevated position.
The Texas Book Depository was the orange building at the left side of this picture:
Another look at the building from another angle:
View 2:
The shooter or shooters were located at the so called Grassy Knoll - the Grassy Knoll was a slightly uphill grass field with a high fence beyond. This was at the right side of Kennedy's limousine. The gunmen took shooting positions behind the fence and was able to slip away quickly without notice.
Here's what the grassy knoll looks like today:
Possible view of the real gunmen:
View 3:
There were both shooters from the Texas Book Depository and the Grassy Knoll
View 4:
The limousine driver himself, William Greer, shot the fatal wound on Kennedy's head
Well, until today, there is no single belief regarding this incident that people unanimously believe in. But later as you read through this article, I hope you too, will be able to form your own conclusions.
The Alleged Assassin -- Lone Gunman Lee Harvey Oswald
About 45 minutes after Kennedy was shot, the police picked a man named Lee Harvey Oswald. With no adequate evidence, probable cause, and proper lawyer representation, he was instantly charged of killing the president of the United States. Investigators claim that he was in the sixth floor window of the Texas Book Depository building while the Kennedy's motorcade was passing. According to investigation, he used a sniper rifle with such efficiency that he fired a single shot, hitting a moving target and killing two people instantly. Now that's something that even trained military gun men will find very difficult to do (not mentioning there were trees in front of the windows that would have blocked his clear view)! Even trained gunmen who tried to re-enact what Oswald allegedly did, find it hard to believe that he was the one who really pulled the trigger! And take note..Oswald had no military training.
The general public had doubts whether Oswald was the true killer or not.
Things got worse when two days later, as Lee Harvey Oswald was outdoors under the custody of the authorities, a man named Jack Ruby appeared from the crowd and shot Oswald up close. He died on the spot, even before he got the chance to defend himself in court. Today, many people, especially conspiracy theorists, believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was just a "patsy", or someone who was framed up for a crime so that the true perpetrators will remain hidden and unknown.
Jack Ruby was the stout man approaching Lee Harvey Oswald:
The Warren Commission and The "Single Bullet" Theory
On November 29, 1963, six days after JFK's death, the new president, Lyndon Johnson, organized a fact finding commission headed by the then Chief Justice Earl Warren. This commission's task was to review and examine all evidence, witnesses, and statements gathered by the FBI, the police department, and the Secret Service.
1963 Chief Justice Earl Warren:
While the credentials of the fact finding members of the Warren Commission were beyond question, it is obvious that some of them have no background on crime investigation. Moreover, the Warren Commission has been repeatedly criticized because of its failure to provide a logical conclusion about the JFK assassination, though they have a mountain of credible witnesses available.
The Warren Commission released an 888 page report that contains a detailed summary of their investigation. One of their conclusions was that the assasination was performed by a lone gunman, who fired three shots from the Texas Book Depository. One of those three bullets hit both Kennedy and Connally! This bullet was later known as the "magic bullet".
The magic bullet theory states that only ONE bullet was responsible for the total of SEVEN wounds found in Kennedy and Connally's bodies! This bullet was one of three shots fired by Lee Harvey Oswald from the Texas Book Depository building, or the "sniper's nest". Moreover, the Warren Commission states that Oswald acted alone, and there was no government conspiracy to kill the president.
As ridiculous as that explanation sounds, the magic bullet theory was the best conclusion that the Warren Commission ever came up to and told the general public in 1963! The question is, did the Warren Commission try to cover up some important facts and fabricated a lie for the people to believe? You decide.
In the sequel of this article, we will discuss other aspects of the investigation, the famous Abraham Zapruder footage, conspiracy theories, possible masterminds of the assasination, and a closer look at Oswald himself. So watch out for that!
