Or to allow SS agents climb on to car?
Apparently either about 95% of the crowd and all the SS agents, including Clint Hill, either did not hear the 1st shot fired much earlier than Z223 or they thought it was a firecracker and did not react to that by turning their heads.
No SS agents other than Hickey can be seen in Z film having turned heads to Face the TSBD, from beginning of Z film up to approx.. Z207 frame, when they are lost out of camera view.
Governor Connally, stated that the 1st loud noise he heard, he DID recognize as a rifle shot. That's not a shot at Z170, because Connally did not attempt to turn around to look at JFK until after Z223 shot.
Charles Brehm, a WW2 combat veteran, standing right near the curb of elm st as JFK limo went past, recognized ALL 3 noises he heard, as rifle shots. If Brehm has heard a 1st shot at Z170, then a 2nd shot at Z223 and is also seeing the President slump, WHY is this WW2 combat veteran not reacting, other than seeming to keep clapping his hands? 2 other men in background behind Brehm seem also not to be aware 2 rifle shots have been fired, as the JFK limo goes past Brehm.
SS Agent George Hickey, the rear guard SS agent in followup car:
T
he motorcade then left the airport and proceeded along the parade route. Just prior to the shooting the Presidential car turned left at the intersection and started down an incline toward an underpass followed by 679X. After a very short distance I heard a loud report which sounded like a firecracker. It appeared to come from the right and rear and seemed to me to be at ground level. I stood up and looked to my right and rear in an attempt to identify it. Nothing caught my attention except people shouting and cheering. A disturbance in 679X caused me to look forward toward the President's car. Perhaps 2 or 3 seconds elapsed from the time I looked to the rear and then looked at the President. He was slumped forward and to his left, and was straightening up to an almost erect sitting position as I turned and looked. At the moment he was almost sitting erect I heard two reports which I thought were shots and that appeared to me completely different in sound than the first report and were in such rapid succession that there seemed to be practically no time element between them. It looked to me as if the President was struck in the right upper rear of his head. The first shot of the second two seemed as if it missed because the hair on the right side of his head flew forward and there didn't seem to be any impact against his head. The last shot seemed to hit his head and cause a noise at the point of impact which made him fall forward and to his left again. - Possibly four or five seconds elapsed from the time of the first report and the last.http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/m_j_russ/Sa-hicke.htmWhy at Z255 frame the Altgens 6 photo, are MOST of the crowd acting as though they have NOT heard 2 rifles shots? thus only about 5% have turned their heads? This is the point in time where Clint Hill has just heard what he thought was the FIRST shot, which he thought was a firecracker. He has turned his head, and he now sees JFK has slumped, an Hill is just about to step off the followup car.
Add to this, that the closest ear witness, Harold Norman, has consistently in every one of his recorded interviews, replicated the spacing of the shots in about 4 seconds, it would appear that the answer for Greer's seeming lack of reaction for 4.8 seconds is because there WAS NOT A 4,8 second period of "silence".
If Norman is correct, and Hill's recollection if correct, and Governor Connally is correct, 3 shots were fired, in a span of time of about 4.8 seconds, beginning with 1at shot at Z223, then a missed shot following that, around Z285, then the head shot, Z313, about 1 sec after that.
Add that at 2/3rd of earwitness heard the spacing 1....2..3 and many in a space of 5 seconds or less, just as Harold Norman, one in particular, Lee Bowers , the hand rapping on the desk all 3 shots less than 5 seconds, the last too rapping, in arppox 1 sec apart. Coincidence?
IF these witnesses are correct, and all 3 shots were fired in span of 5 seconds or less, THEN Greer IS reacting approximately as would be expected. He heard the 1st shot at Z223, and like everyone else, thought it was a firecracker. . Greer looked back, just as JFK was slumping. Greer missed seeing JFK actually hit. He only saw a JFK still upright mostly, but with his head lowered. Greer took his foot off the accelerator here, not sure what had happened. Then in comes a shot at Z285. Greer looks forward, sees a crack in the windshield. He looks back again, at JFK, and the 3rd shot, the head shot, is fired, 1 sec later at Z313. Greer now hits the accelerator pedal, reacting, and almost oblivious to Clint Hill about to jump on the limo.
