There is no longer any doubt that there was a flurry of two or more shots
at the end of the attack on President Kennedy which came much too fast to
have been fired by the Mannlicher Carcano rifle that Lee Harvey Oswald was
alleged to have used.
The evidence which proves this comes from the huge majority of DP
witnesses who stated an opinion about the timing of the shots, the visual
evidence of the films and photos, and from the best scientific evidence.
To get a feel for what the people who actually heard the shots recalled,
you might wish to look through some of these citations.
Although they only discussed it once, throughout their re****t, the Warren
Commission admitted,
"..a substantial majority of the witnesses stated that the shots were not
evenly spaced. Most witnesses recalled that the second and third shots
were bunched together..." (1)
At one point during the hearings, Warren Commissioner Allen Dulles noted
the overwhelming consistency of these witnesses, when he described the
ratio of those confirming this shooting scenario in comparison with
others,
"There has been a certain amount of testimony indicating there was a
longer pause between the re****t of the first shot... and the second and
third shots, that is not absolutely unanimous but I would say it is
something like 5 to 1 or something of that kind.." (Dulles also asked if
anyone thought the ratio was smaller).
Witness after witness, from one end of the plaza to the other, repeated
the same story. As you read through these statements, please notice, not
only the quantity of witnesses who corroborated the timing of the shots,
but the certainty that is apparent in so many of their statements.
Eugene Boone,
"And we heard what we thought to be a shot. And there seemed to be a pause
between the first shot and the second shot and third shots.."(2)
Lee Bowers
"I heard three shots. One, then a slight pause, then two very close
together."(3)
Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell,
"There was a longer pause between the first and second shots than there
was between the second and third shots. They were in rather rapid
succession."(4)
Mrs. Earle Cabell,
"...just as I got the words out - the second two shots rang out."(5)
SA (Special Agent or Secret Service agent) William Lawson,
"...I heard two more sharp re****ts, the second two were closer together
than the first. There was one re****t, and a pause, then two more re****ts
closer together, two and three were closer together than one and two."(6)
Deputy Sheriff Roger Craig,
Mr. BELIN. Two or 3 seconds between the first and the second?
Mr. CRAIG. Well, it was quite a pause between there. It could have been
a little longer.
Mr. BELIN. And what about between the second and third?
Mr. CRAIG. Not more than 2 seconds. It was--they were real rapid. (7)
James N. Crawford,
"The second shot followed some seconds, a little time elapsed after the
first one, and followed very quickly by the third one.."(8)
SA William Greer (driving the limo)
"The last two seemed to be just simultaneously, one behind the
other..."(9)
SA George Hickey (in the followup car immediately behind the Presidential
limousine.),
"At the moment he was almost sitting erect I heard two re****ts which...
were in such rapid succession that there seemed to be practically no time
element between them."(10)
Hurchel Jacks (Hwy Patrolman who drove the Vice President's car),
"..I heard a shot ring out which appeared to come from the right rear of
the Vice President's car. Mr. Rufus Youngblood, the Secret Service Agent
riding in my car asked me what that was and at the same time he advised
the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson to get down. He climbed to the rear of
the seat with the Vice President and appeared to be ****elding the Vice
President with his own body. At that time I heard two more shots ring
out."(11)
Victoria Adams,
"...we heard a shot, and it was a pause, and then a second shot, and then
a third shot."(12)
Robert H. Jackson,
"I would say to me it seemed like 3 or 4 seconds between the first and the
second, and between the second and third, well, I guess 2 seconds, they
were very close together..."(13)
Ladybird Johnson,
"..suddenly there was a sharp loud re****t--a shot. It seemed to me to come
from the right, above my shoulder, from a building. Then a moment and then
two more shots in rapid succession."(14)
Sheriff's Deputy, C.M. Jones,
"..A few short seconds later, I heard an explosion followed in about 3 to
5 seconds later two more explosions."(15)
SA Roy Kellerman, (referring to the time between the 2nd and 3rd shots)
"Let me give you an illustration, sir, before I can give you an answer.
You have heard the sound barrier, of a plane breaking the sound barrier,
bang, bang? That is it." (WCR Vol. 2, p.76)
Billy Lovelady,
"After he had passed and was about 50 yards in front of us I heard three
shots. There was a slight pause after the first shot then the next two was
right close together."
Mary Ann Mitchell,
"...there were three---the second and third being closer together than the
first and second..."(16)
Joe R. Molina.
"... Of course, the first shot was fired then there was an interval
between the first and second longer than the second and third."(17)
Luke Mooney.
"...The second and third shot was pretty close together, but there was a
short lapse there between the first and second shot."(18)
Joe Henry Rich (Hwy Patrolman who drove the Vice Presidential security
car)
"We turned off of Houston Street onto Elm Street and that was when I heard
the first shot. I noticed a lot of confusion up ahead of me, motorcycle
policemen and in the President's car and the President's security car.
This Secret Service man in the front seat with me made the remark, "What
the hell was that" and about that time I heard two more shots."(19)
Arnold Rowland,
"The actual time between the re****ts I would say now, after having had
time to consider the 6 seconds between the first and second re****t and two
between the second and third."(20)
Barbara Rowland,
" ...the second and third were closer than the first and second. "(21)
Edward ****elds,
'I said, 'The President has been shot'; we walked back to the lot and
where Tracey was. I heard one shot and then a pause and then this
repetition--two shots right behind the other.."(22)
Special Agent Forrest V. Sorrels in the lead car,
"There was to me about twice as much time between the first and second
shots as there was between the second and third shots. "(23)
Chief Sheriff's Deputy Allan Sweatt,
"The President's caravan had just passed and about a minute or two, I
heard a shot and about 7 seconds later another shot and approximately 2 or
3 seconds later a third shot..."(24)
SA Warren W. Taylor,
"In the instant that my left foot touched the ground, I heard two more
bangs and realized that they must be gun shots."(25)
Bonnie Ray Williams
"... I remembered three shots, because there was a pause between the first
two shots... The second and the third shot was closer together than the
first shot and the second shot.."(26)
Linda Willis, the fifteen year old daughter of Phil Willis,
"Yes; I heard one. Then there was a little bit of time, and then there
were two real fast bullets together. When the first one hit, well, the
President turned from waving to the people, and he grabbed his throat, and
he kind of slumped forward, and then I couldn't tell where the second shot
went."(27)
Deputy Sheriff, John Wiseman,
"..I heard a shot and I knew something had happened. I ran at once to the
corner of Houston and Main Street and out into the street when the second
and third shots rang out."(28)
U.S. Congressman Ralph W. Yarborough,
"..by my estimate--to me there seemed to be a longer time between the
first and second shots, a much shorter time between the second and third
shots.."(29)
SA Rufus W. Youngblood,
"There seemed to be a longer span of time between the first and the second
shot than there was between the second and third shot. "(30)
Those closest to the President were nearly unanimous about the shooting
sequence. The driver of the Secret Service followup car, SA Kinney was
maintaining a distance of just a few feet behind the Presidential
limousine. He re****ted,
"I saw the President lean toward the left and appeared to have grabbed his
chest with his right hand. There was a second of pause and then two more
shots were heard. "(31)
Sitting next to him in the front seat, SA Roberts re****ted that the second
and third shots were so close that he couldn't tell which of them actually
caused the explosive fatal head wound.
"I do not know if it was the next shot or third shot that hit the
President in the head.."(32)
Standing on the left running board of the followup car behind Clint Hill,
SA McIntyre re****ted,
"The Presidential vehicle was approximately 200 feet from the underpass
when the first shot was fired, followed in quick succession by two
more."(33)
At one point during the hearings, Warren Commissioner Allen Dulles noted
the overwhelming consistency of these witnesses, when he described the
ratio of those confirming this shooting scenario in comparison with
others,
"There has been a certain amount of testimony indicating there was a
longer pause between the re****t of the first shot... and the second and
third shots, that is not absolutely unanimous but I would say it is
something like 5 to 1 or something of that kind.."(34)
These witnesses were not hand-picked. They represent the overwhelming
majority of witnesses in Dealey Plaza who confirmed that the final shots
of the attack were bunched closely together.
-------------------------------------
1.Warren Commission re****t p.115 (St. Martin's Press edition).
2. WCR Vol. 111, p. 292
3. WCR Vol. 6, p.287
4. Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 7, p.478
5. WCR Vol. 7, p.486
6. WCR Vol.4, p.353
7. WCR Vol.6, p.263
8. WCR Vol. 6, p.172
9 . WCR Vol. 2, p.118
10. Original Treasury dept. re****t dated 11/22/63
11. WCR Vol.18, p.801
12. WCR Vol. 6, p.388
13.WCR Vol.2,p.160
14. WCR Vol. 5, p.565
15 Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 18, p.512
16. WCR Vol. 7, p.176
17. WCR Vol.6 p. 371
18. WCR Vol.3, p.282
19. WCR Vol. 18, p.800
20. WCR Vol.2, p.182
21. WCR Vol. 6, p.184
22. WCR Vol. 7, p.394
23. Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 7, p.345
24. WCR Vol. 19. p.531
25. Original Treasury dept. re****t dated 11122/63 - Warren Commission
Re****t Vol. 18, p.782
26. WCR Vol. 3, p.179
27. Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 7, p.498
28. WCR Vol. 19, p.535
29. Warren Commission Re****t vol. 7, p. 439
30. WCR Vol. 2, p.150
31. Original Treasury dept. re****t Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 18, p.730
32. Original Treasury dept. re****t 11/22/63- Warren Commission Re****t Vol.
18, p.733
33. Treasury dept. re****t - 11/29/1963 - Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 18,
p.746 - McIntyre, and others among these witnesses may well have actually
heard the 2nd, 3rd and 4th shots.
34. Warren Commission Re****t Vol. 5 p. 174
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