第三章
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.
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