The First Shot

[Dan O'meara]

I agree that it is a sudden turn of the shoulders and torso from forward facing to about 75 degrees right together with a turn of the head about the same relative to the shoulders, so the head is turned about 150 degrees to the right. That would appear to be an intentional turn.

How can you tell that it is NOT the intentional turn that JBC said he made after the first shot and before he felt the bullet strike his back?

Because of the copious amounts examples I've given, leading up to the post you are responding to, highlighting a multitude of reactions/movements indicating JBC is shot at this point. The radical nature of this turn, within less than a second of sitting upright, is just another supporting piece of evidence that JBC is reacting to being shot.

You would like to take this single example out of context and treat it as if it's an isolated incident but it's not.

Connally's various interviews, reports and testimonies concerning the assassination are full of contradictions and his account changes over time. More importantly, a lot of his statements are refuted by the Z-film. Take his WC testimony for example, he states he heard what he thought was a shot, turned to his right and as he was turning to his left was shot. Immediately when he was shot he 'said' "Oh, no, no, no" (Jackie Kennedy describes him yelling or screaming. In one interview she says he "screamed like a stuck pig).
In the Z-film he turns briefly to his left (z160's) then back to his right (at no point does he attempt to look over his right shoulder as he states in his testimony). As we've seen in my previous posts, he stays in this position as he passes behind the Stemmons sign and is still in the same position - looking to his right - as he emerges from behind the sign.
At no point does he attempt to turn to his left as he states in his WC testimony. He is shot and then appears to cry out "Oh, no, no, no":





It is interesting to note that JBC states:

"I knew I had been hit, and I immediately assumed, because of the amount of blood, and in fact, that it had obviously passed through my chest. that I had probably been fatally hit.
So I merely doubled up, and then turned to my right again and began to--I just sat there, and Mrs. Connally pulled me over to her lap."

This is the right turn we see after JBC has been shot. The phrase "doubled up" describes the posture we see in z240:



Immediately after this JBC states:

"I merely doubled up, and then turned to my right again and began to--I just sat there, and Mrs. Connally pulled me over to her lap."

This is what we see in the Z-film

[Andrew Mason]

Because of the copious amounts examples I've given, leading up to the post you are responding to, highlighting a multitude of reactions/movements indicating JBC is shot at this point. The radical nature of this turn, within less than a second of sitting upright, is just another supporting piece of evidence that JBC is reacting to being shot.

Oh, I see. Hearing a rifle shot and being consumed with worry that his guest behind him, the President, was being assassinated would not result in such a flurry of movement. Ok. So where do you see JBC turning around to see JFK after the first shot that he was sure did not hit him?

You would like to take this single example out of context and treat it as if it's an isolated incident but it's not.

How is 'trying to interpret what is happening the zfilm by examining what witnesses recalled happening' taking things out of context?

Connally's various interviews, reports and testimonies concerning the assassination are full of contradictions and his account changes over time. More importantly, a lot of his statements are refuted by the Z-film. Take his WC testimony for example, he states he heard what he thought was a shot, turned to his right and as he was turning to his left was shot. Immediately when he was shot he 'said' "Oh, no, no, no" (Jackie Kennedy describes him yelling or screaming. In one interview she says he "screamed like a stuck pig).
In the Z-film he turns briefly to his left (z160's) then back to his right (at no point does he attempt to look over his right shoulder as he states in his testimony).

You can't see from z240 to z270 JBC straining to see JFK over his right shoulder?

As we've seen in my previous posts, he stays in this position as he passes behind the Stemmons sign and is still in the same position - looking to his right - as he emerges from behind the sign.
At no point does he attempt to turn to his left as he states in his WC testimony. He is shot and then appears to cry out "Oh, no, no, no":

He expressed uncertainty about when he said oh no, no, no. Nellie consistently said he uttered it before he was hit on the second

It is interesting to note that JBC states:

"I knew I had been hit, and I immediately assumed, because of the amount of blood, and in fact, that it had obviously passed through my chest. that I had probably been fatally hit.
So I merely doubled up, and then turned to my right again

It looks to me that he could be referring to what is seen after z271.

Immediately after this JBC states:

"I merely doubled up, and then turned to my right again and began to--I just sat there, and Mrs. Connally pulled me over to her lap."

This is what we see in the Z-film

So why did he think he was not hit in the back on the first shot?

[Dan O'meara]

Oh, I see. Hearing a rifle shot and being consumed with worry that his guest behind him, the President, was being assassinated would not result in such a flurry of movement.

No it wouldn't.
The bizarre thing about what you're suggesting is that in your model the first shot that Connally is supposed to be responding to is over one and a half seconds before he suddenly explodes in a 'flurry of concern'!

Ok. So where do you see JBC turning around to see JFK after the first shot that he was sure did not hit him?

In the Z-film JBC doesn't turn round to see JFK until after he is shot.

How is 'trying to interpret what is happening the zfilm by examining what witnesses recalled happening' taking things out of context?

I made it clear in my post that the Gif showing the extreme change in JBC's body posture (in less than a second!) is just one piece of a collection of inter-related and interlocking reactions and movements all occurring at the same time.
This is the context you are taking it out of.

You can't see from z240 to z270 JBC straining to see JFK over his right shoulder?

Of course I can. It even appears to me that he is staring straight at JFK. Something he fails to mention in his statements.

He expressed uncertainty about when he said oh no, no, no.

"...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..."

I'm not really seeing this uncertainty you're talking about.
He's hit
Immediately calls out "Oh, no, no, no"
Says "My God, they're going to kill us all"
Is pulled into Nellie's lap

Nellie consistently said he uttered it before he was hit on the second

The possibility exists Nellie is mistaken

It looks to me that he could be referring to what is seen after z271.

I'd need you to explain this more clearly.
Maybe throw in an image or two to clarify

So why did he think he was not hit in the back on the first shot?

Don't know

[Jack Nessan]

No it wouldn't.
The bizarre thing about what you're suggesting is that in your model the first shot that Connally is supposed to be responding to is over one and a half seconds before he suddenly explodes in a 'flurry of concern'!

In the Z-film JBC doesn't turn round to see JFK until after he is shot.

I made it clear in my post that the Gif showing the extreme change in JBC's body posture (in less than a second!) is just one piece of a collection of inter-related and interlocking reactions and movements all occurring at the same time.
This is the context you are taking it out of.

Of course I can. It even appears to me that he is staring straight at JFK. Something he fails to mention in his statements.

"...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..."

I'm not really seeing this uncertainty you're talking about.
He's hit
Immediately calls out "Oh, no, no, no"
Says "My God, they're going to kill us all"
Is pulled into Nellie's lap

The possibility exists Nellie is mistaken

I'd need you to explain this more clearly.
Maybe throw in an image or two to clarify

Don't know

Jackie also references JBC crying out "Oh No No No" as having taken place after the first shot.

[Ray Mitcham]

Jackie also references JBC crying out "Oh No No No" as having taken place after the first shot.

Mrs Connolly's testimony to W.C.

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. 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, and it hit John, 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."

[Dan O'meara]

This is also very notable from JBC's WC testimony:

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. These were just thoughts that went through my mind because of the rapidity of these two, of the first shot plus the blow that I took, and I knew I had been hit, and I immediately assumed, because of the amount of blood, and in fact, that it had obviously passed through my chest. that I had probably been fatally hit."

The span of time was so short between hearing the first shot and being hit Connally thought two or three people were shooting or there was an automatic rifle being used - that is to say, a span of time shorter than it would take to use a bolt action rifle - possibly two seconds or less.
There is no scenario in which the first two shots are so close together strongly suggesting JBC is misremembering this moment, possibly stretching time out in his memory.
The gap between the first and second shots cannot be considered as short as JBC is suggesting. This 'misremembering' is apparent a few times in the testimonies of JBC and Nellie'
JBC is adamant he said "Oh, no, no, no" after being shot, Nellie is equally adamant he says it before being shot even though she is looking at JFK at the time. Nellie states she comforts JBC ("It's all right. Be still.") after the headshot which is impossible as we see in the Z-film both Nellie and JBC immediately duck for cover after the headshot. JBC remembers her comforting him before the headshot.

There are other examples but the point is made.

[Andrew Mason]

No it wouldn't.
The bizarre thing about what you're suggesting is that in your model the first shot that Connally is supposed to be responding to is over one and a half seconds before he suddenly explodes in a 'flurry of concern'!

I think you are stretching it a bit to call a 25-28 frame - 1.5 second - delay "bizarre".  Given what he had to do to react, it might be considered rather quick.  It was certainly quicker than Kellerman's reaction which does not begin until z252.

Keep in mind, JBC's was not a reaction prompted by recognizing a physical impact. His brain first had to recognize the sound as a gunshot.  Then his brain had to process the significance of that sound ie. that an assassination of the President was unfolding.  Then his brain had to make a decision to turn around to check on JFK.  Then the brain had to instruct the muscles to co-ordinate a turn to the rear to perform the check. All of that took 25-28 frames (z195-198 to z223) or 1.37 to 1.53 seconds.

And that is assuming that his reaction began at z223.  It may not have.  If you look at JBC's shirt, the amount of white shirt visible in z222 is less than in z223. In fact, z222 and z224 look very similar (so much for the jacket bulge theory).  One possible and very reasonable explanation would be that, while he is behind the sign, JBC is already beginning to move his body.

In the Z-film JBC doesn't turn round to see JFK until after he is shot.

?? I agree that he doesn't turn around to see JFK until after JFK is shot (on the first shot).  JBC said he turned around after the first shot and before he - JBC - was hit in the back.  So, according to the evidence, that turn is before JBC was hit in the back.

I made it clear in my post that the Gif showing the extreme change in JBC's body posture (in less than a second!) is just one piece of a collection of inter-related and interlocking reactions and movements all occurring at the same time.
This is the context you are taking it out of.

The evidentiary context in which JBC turned around to see JFK was JBC reacting to the sound of the shot.  The actions that you describe are, according to the evidence, the result of JFK being hit by the first shot and JBC reacting to hearing it, not being hit in the back by it. 

Of course I can. It even appears to me that he is staring straight at JFK. Something he fails to mention in his statements.

He did say in his interview in the hospital that he saw "the President had slumped".

"...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..."

I'm not really seeing this uncertainty you're talking about.

The uncertainty is evident in the fact that in 1966 in the Life article (25 Nov 1966) he said:

• “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.”

Also, in his testimony before the HSCA he said:

• “When I was hit, or shortly before I was hit-no, I guess it was
  after I was hit-I said first, just almost in despair, I said, "no, no,
  no," just thinking how tragic it was that we had gone through this
  24 hours, it had all been so wonderful and so beautifully executed.
  
  The President had been so marvelously received and then here,
  at the last moment, this great tragedy. I just said, "no, no, no, no."
  Then I said right after I was hit, I said, "My God, they are going to
  kill us all.”

This is a revealing statement.  While he could not recall when exactly he uttered the "no, no, no", he did recall why he said it:  out of concern for the president being assassinated and not because he had just been hit in the back.  So that fits with having said it before he was hit.  And it also explains how he would have known that JFK had been hit and had slumped.  His statement "they are going to kill us all" indicates that he was aware at that time that JFK had been hit.

He's hit
Immediately calls out "Oh, no, no, no"
Says "My God, they're going to kill us all"
Is pulled into Nellie's lap

The possibility exists Nellie is mistaken

That is a possibility. Sure. But if she was mistaken about that and JBC was hit at z223, she was also mistaken about seeing JFK clutching at his neck/face BEFORE her husband was hit.  And she was also mistaken that she reached out to pull him down immediately after he was hit because she does not appear to do anything of the kind until after z278 when JBC begins to fall back onto her.

[Jack Nessan]

Mrs Connolly's testimony to W.C.

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. 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, and it hit John, 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."

Mrs Connolly's testimony to W.C.

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. 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, and it hit John, 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."

Nelly referencing JBC's own words to identify JBC as being hit by the first shot. Same as Jackie.