First shot reactions

[Charles Collins]

But no one in the crowd is showing any look of concern. BTW Look at your 2nd photo,  see how JFK is sitting? No way a bullet from the 6th story window went into his back and came out his throat

The crowd is focused on the President and motorcade. Very few of them recognized the first shot as a rifle shot. Even JFK quickly recovered from the noise (after a brief look towards Jackie) and then returned looking to his right and began waving to the crowd again. Look closely at his facial expressions on the Zapruder clip as he turns back to his right. His look of concern quickly returns to a smile as he re-engages with the crowd.

The first shot missed. So I agree with your assessment of the second photo.

[Andrew Mason]

Andrew,

I admire your diligent effort to make the raw testimony work, but I struggled with raw testimony like this when trying to accurately nail down first shot timing (like the Willis photos issue).

It may be that a difference in 2 shot (which included slumping and/or hands going up to throat) or 3 shot testimonies would contribute to a significant difference in what is being interpreted, but in any case I think we all struggle with two sources of error or variability in testimony in general. 1) errors in how folks remembered what happened during the chaotic events and how they subsequently recalled it in their testimony and 2) (and this may be an equally large source of error), how researchers interpret what they think the testimony meant or what they thought the individuals meanto.

While witnesses are not video recorders, they generally don't fabricate entire events. They will often differ on small details but will generally agree on the salient points. And if a witness reports an event that did not occur, other witnesses will not independently report the same thing. That simply does not happen.

 So, while one can try to explain away an individual witness recollection on such grounds as you suggest, the only way multiple witnesses can report observing an event that did not occur is if they are not independent.

So an example along these lines in your supporting testimonies are the drivers of cars #4 and #6.

#4 Hurchel Jacks (driver), WC 18 H 801, said "My car had just straightened up from making the left hand turn" when the first shot rang out.
#6 Milton Wright (driver), WC18 H 802: "had just turned onto Elm Street and approximately 30 feet from the intersection"

Their testimonies say that they were effectively in the same place at the same time.  That conclusion is obviously way wrong. Is it error 1) or 2) above? (or both)

The security car was only about 5 feet behind the VP car. Both were regular cars not extended limos. So Wright was less than 25 feet behind Jacks. Jacks said that he just straightened up after completing the turn onto Elm. Wright did not say that. He said he had just turned onto Elm. He did not say he had straightened up.  That turn extends past the intersection as Elm curves for some distance in front of the TSBD before the driver (Wright) could straighten up.

[Peter Kleinschmidt]

The crowd is focused on the President and motorcade. Very few of them recognized the first shot as a rifle shot. Even JFK quickly recovered from the noise (after a brief look towards Jackie) and then returned looking to his right and began waving to the crowd again. Look closely at his facial expressions on the Zapruder clip as he turns back to his right. His look of concern quickly returns to a smile as he re-engages with the crowd.

The first shot missed. So I agree with your assessment of the second photo.

Exactly, the crowd is focused on the motorcade but that does not make them immune to gunfire. When the first shot is a miss is it only louder inside an open-top car or from where it originated

[Charles Collins]

No reason to believe he's not smiling here. The glare spot begins to obscure his face as the Z240s increase.

Left: raw frames; Right: deblurred (TinyPic to close 2019)

It seems to me he's smiling before his head gets to the right. The change in shadow makes it seem he begins to break out in smile.

The reasons that make me believe that he isn’t smiling are:

The fact that JBC and Jackie both have expressions of concern.

JFK, JBC, Jackie, Nellie, and two SS agents are looking around as if they just heard the first shot and are wondering what it was.

JFK nods his head in apparent acknowledgment of the people on his right, who are likely making a lot of noise trying to get his attention. Then he apparently breaks into a smile as if he is returning his attention to the admiring crowd.

People have been interpreting the Zapruder for over 55-years. If you believe the shadows are making it only appear that he is breaking into a smile, that is okay with me. I just don’t agree.

[Charles Collins]

Exactly, the crowd is focused on the motorcade but that does not make them immune to gunfire. When the first shot is a miss is it only louder inside an open-top car or from where it originated

When trying to stress a important point, a speaker might ask: “Did you hear what I just said”? This would be an attempt to make sure the audience is paying attention to his words.

The bystanders had their attention focused on the motorcade. The limousine occupants had their attention focused on the crowd. However, the limousine occupants had been traveling through the crowds for a while. And the bystanders only had a few moments to see the President before he would pass by and be gone. Therefore, due to these probable differences in intensity of focus, it seems to me that the limousine occupants might  be more aware of other things going on around them than the bystanders would be.

 Rosemary Willis appears to have reacted to the sound of the first shot as she can be seen jerking her head around to look back towards the TSBD just after Z133. So she is apparently more aware of her surroundings. However, she has been running along side the limousine since it turned onto Houston Street. And she has had to watch where she was going in order to not run into anything.

As far as your question goes, I saw a paratrooper describing what it was like while descending towards the ground where the enemy was shooting rifles at him. He said he could tell when he was the target by the distinctive crack sound of the rifle. I have been told that this is the sonic boom of the bullet. And it apparently is most noticeable when the bullet passes close by. So perhaps the limousine occupants did hear something that the bystanders didn’t.

[Thomas Graves]

When trying to stress a important point, a speaker might ask: “Did you hear what I just said”? This would be an attempt to make sure the audience is paying attention to his words.

The bystanders had their attention focused on the motorcade. The limousine occupants had their attention focused on the crowd. However, the limousine occupants had been traveling through the crowds for a while. And the bystanders only had a few moments to see the President before he would pass by and be gone. Therefore, due to these probable differences in intensity of focus, it seems to me that the limousine occupants might  be more aware of other things going on around them than the bystanders would be.

 Rosemary Willis appears to have reacted to the sound of the first shot as she can be seen jerking her head around to look back towards the TSBD just after Z133. So she is apparently more aware of her surroundings. However, she has been running along side the limousine since it turned onto Houston Street. And she has had to watch where she was going in order to not run into anything.

As far as your question goes, I saw a paratrooper describing what it was like while descending towards the ground where the enemy was shooting rifles at him. He said he could tell when he was the target by the distinctive crack sound of the rifle. I have been told that this is the sonic boom of the bullet. And it apparently is most noticeable when the bullet passes close by. So perhaps the limousine occupants did hear something that the bystanders didn’t.

Charles,

Isn't it possible that Rosemary "pulled up" because her father yelled, "Stop, Rosemary!," or some-such thing?

-- MWT 

[Charles Collins]

Charles,

Isn't it possible that Rosemary "pulled up" because her father yelled, "Stop, Rosemary!," or some-such thing?

-- MWT 

Not unless he had “eyes in the back of his head” (like my mother did ).

[Thomas Graves]

Not unless he had “eyes in the back of his head” (like my mother did ).

I rest my case.

(LOL)