The First Shot

[Dan O'meara]

So what in the zfilm makes you think there were three shots?  What makes you think that the shot that struck JFK in the neck was the first shot?  I agree with both of those facts, but it is not because of the zfilm. It is the consistency of the witness evidence that tells us that.

Because of it's confusing and contradictory nature, I consider eye-witness testimony 'secondary'. I've no doubt you would like to misrepresent this as me saying eye-witness testimony is to be ignored but that is not what I'm saying at all, as well you know.
The validity of eye-witness testimony is massively enhanced when it is confirmed by the Z-film (which I consider to be 'primary' evidence). Simply because I put emphasis on the Z-film doesn't mean I'm casting aside all other evidence, I've made this point clear already and you are again misrepresenting what I'm saying.
More importantly, we have already seen how certain elements of eye-witness testimony can be refuted by the Z-film.

Obviously, the Z-film has it's limitations, for a starter it is silent so can give us no audio information and for something like this we must then rely on witness and other evidence
 

Just because witnesses can be unreliable does not mean that they always or even usually are.

Nobody is saying this is the case. I'm saying this unreliability creates uncertainty which can sometimes be resolved by putting emphasis on the Z-film and not contradictory eye-witness evidence.

We are unable to rely on Kellerman's evidence that JFK spoke after the first shot because it conflicts with all the other witnesses who said that he uttered nothing (which is consistent with having his speech apparatus damaged).  But that does not mean that we cannot rely on the Connally's evidence.  Their evidence on what occurred is perfectly consistent with what is seen in the zfilm.

The Connally's evidence is contradictory in many aspects. They sometimes contradict each other, they sometimes even contradict their own statements. How this can be consistent with the Z-film is beyond me.

Where is the contradiction between Nellie and JBC? Both said that she pulled him down and said repeatedly "be still". Both said that occurred before and after the head shot.

I apologise if I've missed this. Can you point out where they both said it occurred before and after the headshot.

[Dan O'meara]

Trying to make sense of the various statements of the assassination made by John and Nellie Connally and how they fit with the Z-film, I've made a list specific points made by both:
After the first shot:

1)   JBC turns to the left
2)   Calls out "Oh, no, no, no" (at some point after this - "My God they're going to kill us all")
3)   Turns/recoils sharply to his right.
4)   Crumples/doubles up in his seat
5)   Is pulled back by Nellie

These things are shown clearly in the Z-film. Points 2, 3 and 4 happen almost together but they occur as described. Point 1 is interesting as there are only two times JBC turns to his left. One time is in the z160's and is caught in the Croft photo but cannot be the moment the Connally's are referring to. The other is between z229 and z234 and :



JBC is clear as to when he is hit:

"I was turning to look back over my left shoulder into the back seat, but I never got that far in my turn. I got about in the position I am in now facing you, looking a little bit to the left of center, and then I felt like someone had hit me in the back."

In this extreme close up we see JBC turning left until he is facing " a little bit to the left of center" : 



It is at this moment JBC says he is hit. JBC estimates z234 as the frame he is hit. The next thing we see in the Z-film is JBC crying out "Oh, no, no, no":



It should be noted that this Gif starts at z235, the very next frame after JBC claims he is hit. What is clear from this is that, according to JBC, he is hit and then cries out "Oh, no, no, no". He is consistent on this point apart from one quote from a Life Magazine interview:

“Between the time I heard the first shot and felt the impact of the other bullet that obviously hit me, I sensed something was wrong, and said, ‘Oh no, no, no.’ After I felt the impact I glanced down and saw that my whole chest was covered with blood.”

The irony is that the article this quote comes from concerns JBC looking through magnified z-frames and it is during this article he positively identifies z234 as the frame he is hit. As we can see, he cries out "Oh, no, no, no" after z234. What is also clear from the Gif is JBC turning sharply to his right and crumpling in his seat.
It is immediately after this that JBC is pulled back by Nellie and, although it's not really discernable in the Z-film, I assume JBC says, "My God, they're going to kill us all"

Nellie Connally is mistaken in believing JBC cries out before being hit.

[Jack Nessan]

Trying to make sense of the various statements of the assassination made by John and Nellie Connally and how they fit with the Z-film, I've made a list specific points made by both:
After the first shot:

1)   JBC turns to the left
2)   Calls out "Oh, no, no, no" (at some point after this - "My God they're going to kill us all")
3)   Turns/recoils sharply to his right.
4)   Crumples/doubles up in his seat
5)   Is pulled back by Nellie

These things are shown clearly in the Z-film. Points 2, 3 and 4 happen almost together but they occur as described. Point 1 is interesting as there are only two times JBC turns to his left. One time is in the z160's and is caught in the Croft photo but cannot be the moment the Connally's are referring to. The other is between z229 and z234 and :



JBC is clear as to when he is hit:

"I was turning to look back over my left shoulder into the back seat, but I never got that far in my turn. I got about in the position I am in now facing you, looking a little bit to the left of center, and then I felt like someone had hit me in the back."

In this extreme close up we see JBC turning left until he is facing " a little bit to the left of center" : 



It is at this moment JBC says he is hit. JBC estimates z234 as the frame he is hit. The next thing we see in the Z-film is JBC crying out "Oh, no, no, no":



It should be noted that this Gif starts at z235, the very next frame after JBC claims he is hit. What is clear from this is that, according to JBC, he is hit and then cries out "Oh, no, no, no". He is consistent on this point apart from one quote from a Life Magazine interview:

“Between the time I heard the first shot and felt the impact of the other bullet that obviously hit me, I sensed something was wrong, and said, ‘Oh no, no, no.’ After I felt the impact I glanced down and saw that my whole chest was covered with blood.”

The irony is that the article this quote comes from concerns JBC looking through magnified z-frames and it is during this article he positively identifies z234 as the frame he is hit. As we can see, he cries out "Oh, no, no, no" after z234. What is also clear from the Gif is JBC turning sharply to his right and crumpling in his seat.
It is immediately after this that JBC is pulled back by Nellie and, although it's not really discernable in the Z-film, I assume JBC says, "My God, they're going to kill us all"

Nellie Connally is mistaken in believing JBC cries out before being hit.

Another choice. It is when JBC first realizes he has been hit. Reagan did not know he had been shot until he was on his way to the hospital. The bullet was a half of an inch from his heart. Also remember JBC never heard a third shot. Both Nellie and Jackie place it before a second shot.

Governor CONNALLY
.....I immediately, when I was hit, I said, "Oh, no, no, no." And then I said, "My God, they are going to kill us all." Nellie, when she pulled me over into her lap----

Mrs. CONNALLY. -----------------------------------As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John saying, "Oh, no, no, no." Then there was a second shot…..
 
Mrs. KENNEDY. You know, there is always noise in a motorcade and there are always motorcycles, besides us, a lot of them backfiring. So I was looking to the left. I guess there was a noise, but it didn't seem like any different noise really because there is so much noise, motorcycles and things. But then suddenly Governor Connally was yelling, "Oh, no, no, no."
----------------------------
Mr. RANKIN. Do you have any recollection of whether there were one or more shots?

Mrs. KENNEDY. Well, there must have been two because the one that made me turn around was Governor Connally yelling……… And it used to confuse me because first I remembered there were three and I used to think my husband didn't make any sound when he was shot. And Governor Connally screamed………. And then I read the other day that it was the same shot that hit them both. But I used to think if I only had been looking to the right I would have seen the first shot hit him, then I could have pulled him down, and then the second shot would not have hit him…….. But I heard Governor Connally yelling and that made me turn around, and as I turned to the right my husband was doing this [indicating with hand at neck]. He was receiving a bullet. And those are the only two I remember. And I read there was a third shot. But I don't know. Just those two.

[Ray Mitcham]

How anybody can mistake what both John Connolly and Mrs Connolly said is beypond me. Both said that Connolly was hit by the second bullet.

Governor Connally. (To the Warren Commission)

Governor CONNALLY. We had--we had gone, I guess, 150 feet, maybe 200 feet, I don't recall how far it was, heading down to get on the freeway, the Stemmons Freeway, to go out to the hall where we were going to have lunch and, as I say, the crowds had begun to thin, and we could--I was anticipating that we were going to be at the hall in approximately 5 minutes from the time we turned on Elm Street.
We had just made the turn, well, when I heard what I thought was a shot. I heard this noise which I immediately took to be a rifle shot. I instinctively turned to my right because the sound appeared to come from over my right shoulder, so I turned to look back over my right shoulder, and I saw nothing unusual except just people in the crowd, but I did not catch the President in the corner of my eye, and I was interested, because once I heard the shot in my own mind I identified it as a rifle shot, and I immediately--the only thought that crossed my mind was that this is an assassination attempt.
So I looked, failing to see him, I was turning to look back over my left shoulder into the back seat, but I never got that far in my turn. I got about in the position I am in now facing you, looking a little bit to the left of center, and then I felt like someone had hit me in the back.


Mrs Connolly.

“Mrs. CONNALLY. In fact the receptions had been. so good every place that I had showed much restraint by not mentioning something about it before.
I could resist no longer. When we got past this area I did turn to the President and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you."
Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right.
I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.
Mr. SPECTER. And you are indicating with your own hands, two hands crossing over gripping your own neck?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down.
Then very soon there was the second shot that hit John.[Connolly] As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John [JKF] saying, "Oh, no, no, no." Then there was a second shot, and it hit John,[Connolly] and as he recoiled to the right, just crumpled like a wounded animal to the right, he said, "My God, they are going to kill us all."

Jack, you have misunderstood what she said. When Mrs Connolly said "John said Oh,no,no," she meant John Kennedy not her husband. After she heard these words a "a second shot and it hit John (Connolly). The words "Oh,no,no,no..." were said after the first shot and before John Connolly was shot. It is unfortunate that both men hit were named John.. (that causes the confusion) but easy to understand if you follow what Mrs Connolly was saying.

[Dan O'meara]

Another choice. It is when JBC first realizes he has been hit. Reagan did not know he had been shot until he was on his way to the hospital. The bullet was a half of an inch from his heart. Also remember JBC never heard a third shot. Both Nellie and Jackie place it before a second shot.

Just to clarify - JBC doesn't hear the bullet that hits him. He assumes it's a second shot as he distinctly remembers hearing a first shot, which he is confident didn't hit him, so assumes there must have been a second shot that he didn't hear.
I think this is a really important point particularly as, like many witnesses, he describes the sound of the shots as being "very loud" -

"It was a very loud noise, just that audible, very clear."

I'm sure there are theories why JBC would hear the first shot and not hear the shot that struck him but I'm unaware of them. I've no doubt it's the usual baloney.
It is also important to note the emphasis that JBC puts on the time difference between hearing the first shot and being aware he himself is shot -

Mr. SPECTER. What is the best estimate that you have as to the time span between the sound of the first shot and the feeling of someone hitting you in the back which you just described?

Governor CONNALLY. A very, very brief span of time. Again my trend of thought just happened to be, I suppose along this line, I immediately thought that this--that I had been shot. I knew it when I just looked down and I was covered with blood, and the thought immediately passed through my mind that there were either two or three people involved or more in this or someone was shooting with an automatic rifle.

JBC, a man seemingly familiar with guns and rifles, describes the gap in time between hearing the first shot and being aware that he is hit, as similar to the time gap between the shots of an automatic rifle. Is this less than one second? - a "very, very brief span of time."
The following is lifted from the Pat Speers website -

(12-13-63 FBI report on a 12-11 interview, CD188, p. 3-5) "When Governor Connally was asked about the elapsed time between the first and last shot he remarked “Fast, my God it was fast. It seemed like a split second. Just that quick” and he snapped his fingers three times rapidly to illustrate the time and said “unbelievably quick…"

It seems highly probable that the first shot heard by JBC hit him and that he didn't become consciously aware of being shot for a "split second". Indeed, if z234 represents the moment he first became aware of being shot I would argue he is responding to being hit 0.6 seconds earlier - literally a split second. JBC is constantly emphasising this "unbelievably quick" gap between the two events and we can say with some certainty that two initial shots fired so close together didn't actually happen.
I would argue JBC is shot at z223 and becomes aware of it @ z234
It may be no more than coincidence but Connally is asked to mark on a survey plat of Dealey Plaza where he thought the limo was at the time of the first shot. Pat Speer produced the following graphic to illustrate JBC's choice (the blue circle):

[Jack Nessan]

Just to clarify - JBC doesn't hear the bullet that hits him. He assumes it's a second shot as he distinctly remembers hearing a first shot, which he is confident didn't hit him, so assumes there must have been a second shot that he didn't hear.
I think this is a really important point particularly as, like many witnesses, he describes the sound of the shots as being "very loud" -

"It was a very loud noise, just that audible, very clear."

I'm sure there are theories why JBC would hear the first shot and not hear the shot that struck him but I'm unaware of them. I've no doubt it's the usual baloney.
It is also important to note the emphasis that JBC puts on the time difference between hearing the first shot and being aware he himself is shot -

Mr. SPECTER. What is the best estimate that you have as to the time span between the sound of the first shot and the feeling of someone hitting you in the back which you just described?

Governor CONNALLY. A very, very brief span of time. Again my trend of thought just happened to be, I suppose along this line, I immediately thought that this--that I had been shot. I knew it when I just looked down and I was covered with blood, and the thought immediately passed through my mind that there were either two or three people involved or more in this or someone was shooting with an automatic rifle.

JBC, a man seemingly familiar with guns and rifles, describes the gap in time between hearing the first shot and being aware that he is hit, as similar to the time gap between the shots of an automatic rifle. Is this less than one second? - a "very, very brief span of time."
The following is lifted from the Pat Speers website -

(12-13-63 FBI report on a 12-11 interview, CD188, p. 3-5) "When Governor Connally was asked about the elapsed time between the first and last shot he remarked “Fast, my God it was fast. It seemed like a split second. Just that quick” and he snapped his fingers three times rapidly to illustrate the time and said “unbelievably quick…"

It seems highly probable that the first shot heard by JBC hit him and that he didn't become consciously aware of being shot for a "split second". Indeed, if z234 represents the moment he first became aware of being shot I would argue he is responding to being hit 0.6 seconds earlier - literally a split second. JBC is constantly emphasising this "unbelievably quick" gap between the two events and we can say with some certainty that two initial shots fired so close together didn't actually happen.
I would argue JBC is shot at z223 and becomes aware of it @ z234
It may be no more than coincidence but Connally is asked to mark on a survey plat of Dealey Plaza where he thought the limo was at the time of the first shot. Pat Speer produced the following graphic to illustrate JBC's choice (the blue circle):

It was postulated by someone once that JBC never felt the full impact of the wound until he took his first breath. Given the injuries to his chest I thought that was a very good explanation.

There is ample evidence to explain why JBC never heard the shot. It was because there was never was a shot to be heard by him. It also was not heard by the other occupants of the car. Greer is a two shot witness right up until he goes in front of the WC. Kellerman, when the flurry of shots nonsense is removed by Specter and the WC members, places the headshot as taking place with the second shot. A number of the Secret Service stated or described there was only two shots.

On the plane back to Dallas an argument took place between reporters Charles Roberts of Newsweek, the Secret Service Agents , other passengers, and Merriman Smith of UPI about the number of shots. Smith's bulletin was read by Cronkite which is the genesis of three shots having been fired.

The actual evidence points to there only having been two shots. The vast majority of the eyewitnesses near the car or the snipers nest initially stated there was only two shots. The realistic number of shots that could have been fired within the 6 second time frame is that there was only time to fire two shots. The early missed shot is nothing but an attempt to increase the time frame to fire three shots and the theory does not have one valid piece of evidence or witness support to validate it.

There is only evidence of two bullets. The three shells found in the SN indicate there was only two of the shells with the chambering mark or indentation on the side of the shell. CE 543 lacks the mark and has numerous other marks indicating it was dryfired in the gun. The chambering mark on CE 544 is more pronounced than on CE 545 indicating CE545 was fired first. The reason the chambering mark is so important is it shows up on CE141 the unfired cartridge. An expanded chamber due to heat is the only explanation for this mark to show up on an unfired cartridge. Josiah Thompson stated in Six Seconds in Dallas that the chambering mark is present on the 30+ fired shells he viewed while photographing the life magazine article in the mid 60's.

[Jack Nessan]

How anybody can mistake what both John Connolly and Mrs Connolly said is beypond me. Both said that Connolly was hit by the second bullet.

Governor Connally. (To the Warren Commission)

Governor CONNALLY. We had--we had gone, I guess, 150 feet, maybe 200 feet, I don't recall how far it was, heading down to get on the freeway, the Stemmons Freeway, to go out to the hall where we were going to have lunch and, as I say, the crowds had begun to thin, and we could--I was anticipating that we were going to be at the hall in approximately 5 minutes from the time we turned on Elm Street.
We had just made the turn, well, when I heard what I thought was a shot. I heard this noise which I immediately took to be a rifle shot. I instinctively turned to my right because the sound appeared to come from over my right shoulder, so I turned to look back over my right shoulder, and I saw nothing unusual except just people in the crowd, but I did not catch the President in the corner of my eye, and I was interested, because once I heard the shot in my own mind I identified it as a rifle shot, and I immediately--the only thought that crossed my mind was that this is an assassination attempt.
So I looked, failing to see him, I was turning to look back over my left shoulder into the back seat, but I never got that far in my turn. I got about in the position I am in now facing you, looking a little bit to the left of center, and then I felt like someone had hit me in the back.


Mrs Connolly.

“Mrs. CONNALLY. In fact the receptions had been. so good every place that I had showed much restraint by not mentioning something about it before.
I could resist no longer. When we got past this area I did turn to the President and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you."
Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right.
I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.
Mr. SPECTER. And you are indicating with your own hands, two hands crossing over gripping your own neck?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down.
Then very soon there was the second shot that hit John.[Connolly] As the first shot was hit, and I turned to look at the same time, I recall John [JKF] saying, "Oh, no, no, no." Then there was a second shot, and it hit John,[Connolly] and as he recoiled to the right, just crumpled like a wounded animal to the right, he said, "My God, they are going to kill us all."

Jack, you have misunderstood what she said. When Mrs Connolly said "John said Oh,no,no," she meant John Kennedy not her husband. After she heard these words a "a second shot and it hit John (Connolly). The words "Oh,no,no,no..." were said after the first shot and before John Connolly was shot. It is unfortunate that both men hit were named John.. (that causes the confusion) but easy to understand if you follow what Mrs Connolly was saying.

"Jack, you have misunderstood what she said. When Mrs Connolly said "John said Oh,no,no," she meant John Kennedy not her husband. After she heard these words a "a second shot and it hit John (Connolly). The words "Oh,no,no,no..." were said after the first shot and before John Connolly was shot. It is unfortunate that both men hit were named John.. (that causes the confusion) but easy to understand if you follow what Mrs Connolly was saying."

JFK was shot in the throat. Nelly specifically states he made no noise. She also specifically stated JBC cried out before the second shot.

Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right.
I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck.
Mr. SPECTER. And you are indicating with your own hands, two hands crossing over gripping your own neck?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes; and it seemed to me there was--he made no utterance, no cry. I saw no blood, no anything. It was just sort of nothing, the expression on his face, and he just sort of slumped down.[u][/u]

[Dan O'meara]

It was postulated by someone once that JBC never felt the full impact of the wound until he took his first breath. Given the injuries to his chest I thought that was a very good explanation.

There is ample evidence to explain why JBC never heard the shot. It was because there was never was a shot to be heard by him. It also was not heard by the other occupants of the car. Greer is a two shot witness right up until he goes in front of the WC. Kellerman, when the flurry of shots nonsense is removed by Specter and the WC members, places the headshot as taking place with the second shot. A number of the Secret Service stated or described there was only two shots.

On the plane back to Dallas an argument took place between reporters Charles Roberts of Newsweek, the Secret Service Agents , other passengers, and Merriman Smith of UPI about the number of shots. Smith's bulletin was read by Cronkite which is the genesis of three shots having been fired.

The actual evidence points to there only having been two shots. The vast majority of the eyewitnesses near the car or the snipers nest initially stated there was only two shots. The realistic number of shots that could have been fired within the 6 second time frame is that there was only time to fire two shots. The early missed shot is nothing but an attempt to increase the time frame to fire three shots and the theory does not have one valid piece of evidence or witness support to validate it.

Except that over 160 of just over 200 witnesses in Dealey Plaza who reported on the shooting reported hearing three shots.
I agree the early missed shot is nonsense and have argued that point extensively in this thread.
To be honest, I'm not really interested in a third shot as the model I'm presenting works perfectly well with just two but I can't ignore those sort of numbers when it comes to witnesses reporting the same detail.