The First Shot

[Walt Cakebread]

I'm of the opinion that the bullet that struck JBC's wrist fragmented on impact, there is a relatively large entrance wound on the lateral side of his arm just above the wrist and a small slit-like exit in the crease of his wrist, plus metallic particles embedded in his wrist.
This bullet is not CE399
The bullet that struck JFK's head also fragmented, spraying the front of the limo.
This bullet is not CE399
And one bullet missed - who knows what happened to that? Could that somehow be CE399? I doubt it very much.

Where did CE 399 come from?
A corridor in Parkland hospital.
How did it get there?
Who knows beyond speculation.

An excellent summation,  Dan

[Andrew Mason]

Not to sidetrack this too much but I have always been confused by Kellermann's usage of the phrase "flurry of shells come into the car." Later, he said "flurry of shots." Shells or shots or what?

When asked for more details, he said this:
Mr. SPECTER. Now, in your prior testimony you described a flurry of shells into the car. How many shots did you hear after the first noise which you described as sounding like a firecracker?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, these shells came in all together.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you able to say how many you heard?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I am going to say two, and it was like a double bang--bang, bang.

Two shots or shells, for me, is not a "flurry" of anything.

I would guess that the sounds of the fragments hitting the chrome and the windshield must have sounded like shots. Or shells. Or something. But he said just two "shells."

In any case, as I've said above, trying to discern all of this from the accounts will drive you mad. It's frustrating as hell and I gave up on it a long time ago.

Kellerman had a unique position. Kellerman was the person most likely to be hit by anything from the shots as he was in the line of fire at z270-313.  He is the only person who described the last two shots as a "flurry" or barrage.  The impact sound of the second shot impact sound followed by the muzzle blast followed by another shot hitting JFK + spray of matter followed by muzzle blast may have created a sensation for Kellerman of a somewhat continuous barrage. 

There is a great deal of corroboration for the last two shots being in rapid succession.  At that distance (300 feet), there would have been a discernible separation between impact and sound from the muzzle blast. Sound travelled at 1127 fps and the bullet average speed was about 1950 fps (initial 2100 fps and after 300 feet: 1800 fps).

The time difference is t_sound - t_bullet = d/v_sound - d/v_bullet = 300/1127 - 300/1950 = .267 - .154 sec. = 113 ms.

[Jack Nessan]

Kellerman had a unique position. Kellerman was the person most likely to be hit by anything from the shots as he was in the line of fire at z270-313.  He is the only person who described the last two shots as a "flurry" or barrage.  The impact sound of the second shot impact sound followed by the muzzle blast followed by another shot hitting JFK + spray of matter followed by muzzle blast may have created a sensation for Kellerman of a somewhat continuous barrage. 

There is a great deal of corroboration for the last two shots being in rapid succession.  At that distance (300 feet), there would have been a discernible separation between impact and sound from the muzzle blast. Sound travelled at 1127 fps and the bullet average speed was about 1950 fps (initial 2100 fps and after 300 feet: 1800 fps).

The time difference is t_sound - t_bullet = d/v_sound - d/v_bullet = 300/1127 - 300/1950 = .267 - .154 sec. = 113 ms.

 Kellerman is very specific when asked about the shots that the second shot was the headshot
Mr. SPECTER. Now, to the best of your ability to recollect, exactly when did your automobile first accelerate?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Our car accelerated immediately on the time-at the time--this flurry of shots came into it.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you say the acceleration--
Mr. KELLERMAN. Between the second and third shot.
Senator COOPER. Might I ask a question there?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes.
Senator COOPER. A few minutes ago you said in response to a question that when you spoke to the driver the car leaped forward from an acceleration immediately. Did that acceleration occur before the second shot was fired?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir. Just about the time that it came in.
Senator COOPER. About the time it came in?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Yes, sir.
Senator COOPER. Not before?
Mr. KELLERMAN. No.

[Walt Cakebread]

Kellerman had a unique position. Kellerman was the person most likely to be hit by anything from the shots as he was in the line of fire at z270-313.  He is the only person who described the last two shots as a "flurry" or barrage.  The impact sound of the second shot impact sound followed by the muzzle blast followed by another shot hitting JFK + spray of matter followed by muzzle blast may have created a sensation for Kellerman of a somewhat continuous barrage. 

There is a great deal of corroboration for the last two shots being in rapid succession.  At that distance (300 feet), there would have been a discernible separation between impact and sound from the muzzle blast. Sound travelled at 1127 fps and the bullet average speed was about 1950 fps (initial 2100 fps and after 300 feet: 1800 fps).

The time difference is t_sound - t_bullet = d/v_sound - d/v_bullet = 300/1127 - 300/1950 = .267 - .154 sec. = 113 ms.

I believe that Roy Kellerman said that a "flurry of shots entered the car"   .... I doubt that Kellerman would have mistaken blood or brain matter for bullets....  I just wish we could define what Kellerman meant by a "flurry".     

[Dan O'meara]

I believe that Roy Kellerman said that a "flurry of shots entered the car"   .... I doubt that Kellerman would have mistaken blood or brain matter for bullets....  I just we could define what Kellerman meant by a "flurry".     

Agreed, but I would mix what I believe happened with Andrew's description -

the sound of a shot
the sound of the impact
fragments hitting the windshield/chrome trim
another shot

This must have been a very intense moment in the front of the limo. I don't believe Kellerman and Greer would have been ducking out of the way of blood or brain matter, but fragments of bullet ricocheting around the front of the limo is a different matter. Kellerman describing shots entering the car is surely a reference to the fragmented bullet from the headshot entering the front part of the limo.
Outside the limo, although bad enough, wouldn't have seemed half as intense as up front in the limo (imo)

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Agreed, but I would mix what I believe happened with Andrew's description -

the sound of a shot
the sound of the impact
fragments hitting the windshield/chrome trim
another shot

This must have been a very intense moment in the front of the limo. I don't believe Kellerman and Greer would have been ducking out of the way of blood or brain matter, but fragments of bullet ricocheting around the front of the limo is a different matter. Kellerman describing shots entering the car is surely a reference to the fragmented bullet from the headshot entering the front part of the limo.
Outside the limo, although bad enough, wouldn't have seemed half as intense as up front in the limo (imo)

Re Greer an Kellermann ducking: probably. However, the Connallys are also ducking down after the headshot and I don't think it was because of the sound of fragments hitting the chrome and the windshield.

We've all been driving when something hit our windshield. It startles us. If another fragment hit the chrome at the same time as one hitting the windshield then I would suggest that was the "double bang" (one of the bullet; the other the fragments hitting the interior) that Kellermann heard.

No, I don't think there was a shot after the headshot.

[Dan O'meara]

Re Greer an Kellermann ducking: probably. However, the Connallys are also ducking down after the headshot and I don't think it was because of the sound of fragments hitting the chrome and the windshield.

We've all been driving when something hit our windshield. It startles us. If another fragment hit the chrome at the same time as one hitting the windshield then I would suggest that was the "double bang" (one of the bullet; the other the fragments hitting the interior) that Kellermann heard.

No, I don't think there was a shot after the headshot.

"If another fragment hit the chrome at the same time as one hitting the windshield then I would suggest that was the "double bang" (one of the bullet; the other the fragments hitting the interior) that Kellermann heard."

I think this is what Kellerman is describing when he talks about the flurry of shells/shots coming into the limo.
I also think it's the fragments from the headshot bullet.
It's debateable whether there was a shot after the headshot or not (imo)

[Dan O'meara]

Getting back to the theme of the thread I would like to present a partial analysis of the Altgens 6 picture to outline what this reveals about the first shot. The main thrust of the analysis centres around this close-up of Altgens 6:



The above pic is a close-up of the Vice Presidential car. From right to left the occupants of the car are;

Senator Yarborough (sat on back seat): He appears to be smiling but it's difficult to say for sure as most of his face is obscured by part of the car.

Hurchel Jacks (driver): Definitely not smiling, he seems focussed on the road ahead.

Ladybird Johnson (sat in centre of back seat): Smiling away without a care in the world, seems to be looking into the crowd.

Lyndon B Johnson (sat to Ladybird's right): He is difficult to see, there is just the side of his head and left ear visible, he appears to be leaning forward, possibly interacting with Rufus Youngblood.

Rufus Youngblood (front passenger seat): Also difficult to see as his head is in shadow and partly obscured by the motorcycle in front. The profile of his head is smooth and round suggesting he is turned to his right and we are seeing the back of his head. This also suggests he may be interacting with Johnson who appears to be leaning forward from behind.

Below is a very extreme blow-up of Altgens 6 showing Youngblood and LBJ. The grey curved shape on the left is part of a motorcycle windshield. The black rounded shape behind this is the side profile of Youngblood mainly showing the back of his head. Just behind Youngblood's silhouette is what little we can see of LBJ. The most distinguishing feature is his left ear, the bottom of which is partly covered by shadow. It appears LBJ is leaning forward from behind and Youngblood is turned to his extreme right as if they are interacting in some way:




The main point of this initial analysis is to establish that SA Rufus Youngblood is sat in the passenger seat at the time of the Altgens 6 picture. As we shall see, this has important ramifications for establishing when the first shot happened.
Now onto events that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the first shot, in particular the report that SA Youngblood jumped on top of LBJ to shield him. This brings us to various eye-witness accounts, not a particularly favourite area of mine as accounts can often be contradictory and this is no different.
In an interview with William Manchester, Senator Ralph Yarborough is adamant Youngblood did not jump into the back seat to cover LBJ:

(4-6-64, 11-11-64, and 5-26-65 interviews with William Manchester, as represented in The Death of a President, 1967)
(On whether or not Youngblood climbed into the back seat) "Ralph Yarborough goes further: he insists that Youngblood never left the front seat. It is the Senator's recollection that the agent merely leaned over the seat and talked to Johnson in an undertone. He contends that there was insufficient space in the rear for Youngblood." [patspeer.com]

And Yarborough should know as he was sat in the back seat with LBJ and would surely have noticed! However, as we shall see, there is copious eye-witness testimony that Youngblood did indeed jump over into the back seat to shield LBJ:

Hurchel Jacks [driver of VP car]

"At that time I heard a shot ring out which appeared to come from the right rear of the Vice President's car. Mr. Rufus Youngblood, the Secret Service Agent riding in my car asked me what that was and at the same time he advised the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson to get down. He climbed to the rear of the seat with the Vice President and appeared to be shielding the Vice President with his own body. At that time I heard two more shots ring out. At that time he told me to get out of there as fast as possible."

Clifton Carter [VP aide, front-middle VP follow-up car]

 At approximately 12:30 p.m., our car had just made the lefthand turn off Houston onto Elm Street and was right alongside of the Texas School Book Depository Building when I heard a noise which sounded like a firecracker. Special Agent Youngblood, who was seated on the right-hand side of the front seat of Vice President Johnson's car immediately turned and pushed Vice President Johnson down and in the same motion vaulted over the seat and covered the Vice President with his body. At that instant Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough, who were riding in the back seat along with the Vice President, bent forward. Special Agent Youngblood's action came immediately after the first shot and before the succeeding shots.

Jerry Kivett [SA, right-front VP follow-up car]

Once we left the area, I could see all three cars--the President's car (I could not see any principal party and could only see Clint Hill on the back of the car. The follow-up car, with some agent holding the AR-15 pointed in the air--The Vice President's car (I could not see the Vice President, but could see ASAIC Youngblood lying over the area where he had been sitting--I don't recall seeing Mrs. Johnson or Senator Yarborough)

Warren “Woody” Taylor [SA, left-rear VP follow-up car]

I recall hearing SA Kivett telling the driver to "go, go, stay right behind the car." During all of the aforementioned, I could see ASAIC Youngblood, in the Vice President's car immediately in front of us, jump to the back seat and cover the Vice President.

Lyndon B Johnson [VP, rear-right VP car]

After we had proceeded a short way down Elm Street, I heard a sharp report. The crowd at this point had become somewhat spotty.
The Vice-Presidential car was then about three car lengths behind President Kennedy's car, with the Presidential followup car intervening.
I was startled by the sharp report or explosion. but I had no time to speculate as to its origin because Agent Youngblood turned in a flash, immediately after the first explosion, hitting me on the shoulder, and shouted to all of us in the back seat to get down. I was pushed down by Agent Youngblood. Almost in the same moment in which he hit or pushed me, he vaulted over the back seat and sat on me. I was bent over under the weight of Agent Youngblood's body, toward Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough.

Ladybird Johnson [wife of VP, centre-rear VP car]

...suddenly there was a sharp loud report--a shot. It seemed to me to come from the right, above my shoulder, from a building. Then a moment and then two more shots in rapid succession. There had been such a gala air that I thought it must be firecrackers or some sort of celebration. Then, in the lead car, the Secret Service men were suddenly down. I heard over the radio system, "Let's get out of here," and our Secret Service man who was with us, Ruf Youngblood, I believe it was, vaulted over the front seat on top of Lyndon, threw him to the floor, and said, "Get down."
Senator Yarborough and I ducked our heads.

In light of the amount of eye-witness testimony that Youngblood jumped into the back seat and covered LBJ I find I must treat Yarborough's observation as some kind of aberration. If we accept the weight of evidence of eye witness testimony on this issue it can be concluded, at this point, that Youngblood leapt into the back to cover LBJ and that this moment had yet to happen in Altgens 6 as Youngblood is still sat in the front passenger seat.
My analysis of the various eye-witness accounts reveals the order of events in the immediate aftermath of the first shot (there are some slight variations in accounts, Ladybird's account seems somewhat jumbled for instance):

First shot
Jacks hears Youngblood ask "What was that?"
Youngblood turns in his seat and pushes LBJ down
He shouts at everyone to "Get down "
He jumps into the back seat and shields LBJ
Ladybird and Yarborough duck down
Two more shots ring out

When describing Youngblood's actions Carter and LBJ use the word "immediately", indicating his reaction to the shot was quick. Jacks, Carter and LBJ report that Youngblood was in the back before the second two shots were fired. What does this tell us about Altgens 6?

Altgens 6 was taken at z255. JFK has been shot through the throat. Youngblood is yet to push LBJ back down and leap on top of him. When I look at Lady bird smiling without a care in the world I get the strong impression Youngblood has yet to shout at everyone to "Get down".
This is surely an indicator that the first shot has only just happened and, as many other witnesses confirm, the first shot hits Kennedy.
Altgens 6 rules out an early missed shot!

Can it tell us when exactly this first shot occurred?
Common sense would dictate the shot cannot have occurred much more than two or three seconds before Altgens 6 and hopefully further analysis can reveal a more accurate estimation.