Why the first shot missed

[Richard Smith]

I think it's hilarious but tragic that people are still trying to "shoehorn" LHO into that window with malicious intent. There are a lot of potential assassins I'd be concerned about, but "Lee Hardly" is not one of them, especially with his unimpressive shooting record and that embarrassing rifle. Virtually every bit of evidence in this case has been tampered with or has a dubious chain of possession. Autopsy witnesses reported bullets and fragments recovered that were never introduced as evidence.

So you are arguing that Oswald was a lousy shot with a bad rifle to demonstrate his innocence in a thread discussing why the first shot missed!  LOL.  I guess the assassin hired by your fantasy conspirators wasn't such a great shot either.

 No one will ever know exactly why Oswald's first shot missed.  Perhaps he tunnel visioned his first shot into the path of the tree because he was looking through the scope.  His target moved under cover of the tree when he fired the shot causing either a deflection or miss because he lost sight of JFK.

[Charles Collins]

That is interesting, especially assuming 3 shots came from that window. So explain at what point did this shooter start this tracking motion with this rifle.

Do you even understand what you are saying? When considering this tracking motion idea of yours it would have to be visible on the Hugh's film,
I mean, we already have Brennan, if you believe his description of a shooter as "did not seem to be in any hurry".

Why not just say this shooter in the middle of this tracking motion decided to stop and light a cigarette for the hell of it

I get it, the rifle collided with the cardboard, the shot is fired, but the bullet hits the pavement and not the intended target. 
Then after this apparent blunder, it is followed by a couple of perfect recovery shots.

Wouldn't that be something?

When considering this tracking motion idea of yours it would have to be visible on the Hugh's film

Thank you for pointing this out. It gave me incentive to investigate this further. I believe that it is visible on the Hugh's film.

A view of the sniper's window from Hughes' position as generated by my mock-up should give us an idea of what it should look like just before Z133:




Here is a stabilized clip of the end of the segment of Hughe's film that includes the beginning of the tracking motion (but still is still about two seconds before when I believe the first shot was made):



P.S. This clip from the Hughes film is one that I downloaded a number of years ago. I don't remember who created it. But it was probably someone from this forum. So if you recognize it, please let me know who created it so I can properly credit them.

Here is an enlarged portion of the last frame in that clip:



The rifle can be seen in approximately the same position and at a similar angle to what is seen in the mock-up image. The sniper's left arm appears in the lower right corner of the window, similar to what is seen in the mock-up image.

If you use a program to view the Hughes film clip (like irfanview) which allows you to enlarge the clip and watch the motion at the same time, you can see that the rifle isn't there at the beginning of the clip but appears near the end. This is the sniper tracking the target.

[Peter Kleinschmidt]

If you ever wake up to reality, you might understand that they are not only feasible but probable. And that the point I am making is that marines are trained not to loose their composure, and to focus on hitting their targets even under intense attack from the enemy. Therefore a little bump into an unarmed small box with a rifle is not likely to deter one from hitting the target on the next two shots.

Reality? The problem is your idea is not probable and it is not even possible based on the information you presented. I did not know the assassin had an enemy I thought the assassin had a target. Did JFK have a weapon? Was the assassin more of a sniper or a soldier in combat. You could take you general ideas of marine and say it had to be Oswald.

[John Mytton]

Reality? The problem is your idea is not probable and it is not even possible based on the information you presented. I did not know the assassin had an enemy I thought the assassin had a target. Did JFK have a weapon? Was the assassin more of a sniper or a soldier in combat. You could take you general ideas of marine and say it had to be Oswald.

Did JFK have a weapon?

Maybe? But what we do know is that the SS agents were packing some serious weaponry.



JohnM

[Jack Nessan]

Ignoring the childish insults, Jack, you don't seem to understand that  Jarman didn't see any of the shots hit the President (His sworn testimony to the W.C.) how could he have seen which hit the President?

His sworn testimony.

"Mr. BALL - How long was it before you ran down to the west end, from the time of the shots until you ran down to the west end, about how much time do you think it was?
Mr. BALL - After the third shot was fired I would say it was about a minute.
Mr. McCLOY You have had military experience, haven't you?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes, sir.
Mr. McCLOY. And you can recognize rifle shots when you hear them?
Mr. JARMAN - Yes, sir.
Mr. McCLOY - But you didn't hear, you didn't catch the sound of the bolt moving?
Mr. JARMAN - No, sir.
Mr. McCLOY - Did you see the President actually hit by the bullets?
Mr. JARMAN - No, sir. I couldn't say that I saw him actually hit, but after the second shot, I presumed that he was, because I had my eye on his car from the time it came down Houston until the time it started toward the freeway underpass.
Mr. McCLOY - You saw him crumple, you saw him fall, did you? Mr. BALL - How long was it before you ran down to the west end, from the time of the shots until you ran down to the west end, about how much time do you think it was?
Mr. BALL - After the third shot was fired I would say it was about a minute.


So Jack's "evidence" that Jarman' second shot was to the head is wrong.  Nowhere does Jarman say the second shot hit the President in the head. He is reported to have said (note NOT actually said)
"he heard a shot and then saw President KENNEDY
move his right hand up to his head. [Throat shot?] After an elapse of three
or four seconds, he heard a second shot and then the vehicle
bearing President KENNEDY speeded up and he was unable to
observe any more about the presidential vehicle. He said a
third shot was heard- by-him closely following the second shot
possibly within/second or two afterward. He said these shots
sounded to him to be too loud to have been anywhere outside the
TSBD building."

Nowhere does he say he saw a shot hit the President in the head.

So the third shot he heard was the head shot.

So he heard three shots. Q.E.D.

A little reminder of  your original shot count. The second shot preceded the "People falling on the ground and the car jumped forward." This is the exact description of the headshot followed by the car accelerating and leaving Dealey Plaza. Then, according to Jarman, there was the third shot. The car accelerating to go to Parkland after the headshot is a basic fact of the assassination. In fact the car slowing prior to the headshot is a Conspiracy wet dream. The only shot left is the first shot which wounded both JFK and JBC. Uh Oh that would mean Jarman is describing SBT. Jarman must be your worst night mare. Do you ever think this stuff through before you post it?

Mitcham: "Mr. JARMAN - A backfire or an officer giving a salute to the President. And then at that time I didn't, you know, think too much about it. And then the second shot (two)was fired, and that is when the people started falling on the ground and the motorcade car jumped forward, and then the third shot (three)was fired right behind the second one."

[Jack Nessan]

Willis thought his 05 slide matched Z226. That's why he claimed his most-commercial slide showed Kennedy had been hit and was reacting to the first shot.

He's definitely not looking down and winding his camera prior to Z207. So no tie to him hearing a shot at Z202. Could be looking down and winding his camera by Z223.

    "The car proceeded down Elm, and when it was about 40 yards
     from us, we heard the first noise"

She says "from us" not "pass us". This means the car was approaching her.


The "first" of two shots Newman has a recollection of would have to occur much later than Z202 if she was accurate about the President having passed her.

The Chisms likewise could only recall two shots, the head shot and what I believe to be the shot before that. From their same-day affidavits, the "first" shot supposedly struck the President. Mr. Chism said:

    "And just as he got just about in front of me, he turned and waved at the crowd on this
     side of the street, the right side; at this point I heard what sounded like one shot"


Kennedy waves through the Z200s and beyond. JFK is more "in front of me" at Z223 than Z202.

In my opinion, many of the "two shots" witnesses could have heard three shots and have a recollection of just two. Seems many of them (ie: Bretzner) acknowledge the possibility of a third shot. The "three shots" witnesses seem more sure of the count.

The early media reports claimed Kennedy was struck on the first shot. This may have influenced many, including Mrs. Connally.

The WC placed the Willis photo at Z210. The HSCA placed it at Z202.
-----------------------------------------

Woodward:
 "The car proceeded down Elm, and when it was about 40 yards
     from us, we heard the first noise"

She says "from us" not "pass us". This means the car was approaching her.

No

Woodward:
After acknowledging our cheers, he [JFK] faced forward again and suddenly there was a horrible, ear-splitting noise coming from behind us and a little to the right. My first reaction, and also my friends', was that as a joke someone had backfired their car. Apparently, the driver and occupants of the President's car had the same impression, because instead of speeding up, the car came almost to a halt...I don't believe anyone was hit with the first bullet. The President and Mrs. Kennedy turned and looked around, as if they, too, didn't believe the noise was really coming from a gun...Then after a moment's pause, there was another shot and I saw the President start slumping in the car. This was followed rapidly by another shot. Mrs. Kennedy stood up in the car, turned halfway around, then fell on top of her husband’s body…

Woodward was very clear the shot happened after JFK acknowledged her and her friends and then turned forward again which equates to Z204+

40 yards away? They are half a football field away and he "acknowledges" them? That is a stretch.

---------------------------------------------

The early media reports claimed Kennedy was struck on the first shot. This may have influenced many, including Mrs. Connally.

Acknowledging the medias influence? This is new, but apparently the influence is limited to only about who was wounded and when? Maybe you better rethink that one.

----------------------------------------------------

In my opinion, many of the "two shots" witnesses could have heard three shots and have a recollection of just two. Seems many of them (ie: Bretzner) acknowledge the possibility of a third shot. The "three shots" witnesses seem more sure of the count.

They can't count to two but they can count to three? These people supposedly remember the exact movements of JFK, Jackie, and JBC but they can't recall how many shots they heard and the subsequent reactions.
"

[Peter Kleinschmidt]

Maybe? But what we do know is that the SS agents were packing some serious weaponry.



JohnM

Were they an enemy? They were drunk

[Charles Collins]

Maybe? But what we do know is that the SS agents were packing some serious weaponry.



JohnM

If he had tried to take a shot at JFK while they were approaching the TSBD on Houston Street, chances are good that the sniper would have been spotted and shots fired back at him. Waiting for the limousine to start down Elm Street was part of a good ambush plan.