Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

The Second Shot

The Commission considered whether the second shot missed. The interval between the shot that struck the President’s neck (Zapruder frames 210-225) and the head shot (frame 313) was 4.8 to 5.6 seconds, with a minimum 2.3 seconds required between rifle shots, leaving a window for a missed second shot during the interval. Witness testimony that shots were evenly spaced supported this possibility, as a missed second shot would fall near the midpoint of the interval. However, most witnesses recalled the second and third shots were bunched together, not evenly spaced, which argued against a missed second shot. The Commission also noted the assassin would have been firing near the minimum time required to fire three shots in the 4.8-5.6 second window, though it was possible to do so.

The Third Shot

The Commission evaluated the possibility that the third shot missed, which aligned with the likelihood the assassin would miss the farthest shot, particularly as the limousine accelerated and turned right after the head shot, moving away from the sixth-floor rifle position. Some witness testimony supported this: AP photographer Altgens was certain the head shot was the last shot, and Dealey Plaza groundskeeper Emmett J. Hudson testified he heard a third shot after the head shot. Mrs. Kennedy’s testimony also indicated neither the first nor second shot missed, as she saw her husband raise his hand to his forehead after the first shot, then was struck by the second head shot. Other witnesses reported a third shot hitting near the Triple Underpass: Royce G. Skelton testified a shot hit the left front of the President’s car near the underpass, and Dallas Patrolman J.W. Foster reported a shot hitting the turf near a manhole there, though no physical evidence of bullet strikes was found at those locations. Separately, James T. Tague was hit on the cheek by an object during the shooting, and Deputy Sheriff Eddy R. Walthers found a fresh bullet mark on the south curb of Main Street; spectrographic analysis showed the mark contained lead with trace antimony but no copper, meaning it could not have been made by an intact military full metal-jacketed bullet like the one found on Governor Connally’s stretcher. Tague believed the mark was caused by the second shot, as he heard a third shot after being hit.

CHAPITRE III.

CHAPTER III This chapter addresses final questions about the assassination: determining which shot missed, the time span over which the shots were fired, and summarizing the Commission’s conclusions.

The Final Shot

The Final Shot The chapter examines whether the head shot was the final shot fired. While noise from a subsequent shot could have been masked by the Secret Service followup car’s siren, or the drama of the head shot could have confused witnesses, eyewitness testimony overall indicates the head shot was the final shot. The mark on the south curb of Main Street cannot be conclusively identified with any specific shot. Tague’s testimony about his cheek scratch does not help narrow the possibilities because he did not observe any shots striking the President. Given the wide range of possibilities, conflicting testimony, and impossibility of scientific verification, the Commission cannot conclusively determine which shot missed.

Time Span of Shots

Time Span of Shots Witnesses at the scene generally estimated the shots were fired within 5 to 6 seconds. This approximation was likely based on publicized reports of the sequence: first shot to the neck, second wounding the Governor, and third shattering the President’s head. The time span between the neck shot and the skull shot was 4.8 to 5.6 seconds. If the second shot missed, this represents the total time span of the shots. If the first or third shot missed, a minimum of 2.3 seconds (required to operate the rifle) must be added, yielding a minimum of 7.1 to 7.9 seconds for three shots. Longer intervals between a missed shot and a hit would extend this time span further.