The First Shot

[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.

[Dan O'meara]

An analysis of SA Youngblood's Original Report can help pin down what is occurring in the VP car the moment Altgens 6 is taken:

I heard an explosion--I was not sure whether it was a firecracker, bomb, bullet, or other explosion. I looked at whatever I could quickly survey, and could not see anything which would indicate the origin of this noise. I noticed that the movements in the Presidential car were very abnormal and, at practically the same time, the movements in the Presidential follow-up car were abnormal. I turned in my seat and with my left arm grasped and shoved the Vice President, at his right shoulder, down and toward Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough. At the same time, I shouted
"get down!" I believe I said this more than once and directed it to the Vice President and the other occupants of the rear seat. They all responded very rapidly.

I quickly looked all around again and could see nothing to shoot at, so I stepped over into the back seat and sat on top of the Vice President. I sat in a crouched position and issued orders to the driver. During this time, I heard two more explosion noises and observed SA Hickey in the Presidential follow-up car poised on the car with the AR-15 rifle looking toward the buildings. The second and third explosions made the same type of sound that the first one did as far as I could tell, but by this time I was of the belief that they definitely were shots--not bombs or firecrackers. I am not sure that I was on top of the Vice President before the second shot--he says I was. All of the above related events, from the beginning at the sound of the first shot to the sound of the third shot, happened within a few seconds.

"I heard an explosion--I was not sure whether it was a firecracker, bomb, bullet, or other explosion."

This can't be stressed enough. The sound of the shots is really loud. That 160+ witnesses describe hearing three clearly audible shots leaves me with little doubt that's how many were fired. It can be stated with confidence Youngblood is describing the first of these three shots.

" I looked at whatever I could quickly survey, and could not see anything which would indicate the origin of this noise. I noticed that the movements in the Presidential car were very abnormal and, at practically the same time, the movements in the Presidential follow-up car were abnormal."

The first thing Youngblood notices is 'abnormal movements' in the Presidential limo and the follow-up car. In Altgens 6 we see three agents have spun round and are looking towards the TSBD. In the limo JFK's hands have flown up to his throat with his elbows extended upwards. Youngblood sees these movements and realises something serious is happening.

" I turned in my seat and with my left arm grasped and shoved the Vice President, at his right shoulder, down and toward Mrs. Johnson and Senator Yarborough. At the same time, I shouted "get down!" I believe I said this more than once and directed it to the Vice President and the other occupants of the rear seat. They all responded very rapidly."

He shoves LBJ down towards Ladybird (confirmed by LBJ) and as he does he shouts at everyone to "Get down". I would imagine it is at this point that Ladybird stops smiling as she and Yarborugh duck down immediately.

"I quickly looked all around again and could see nothing to shoot at, so I stepped over into the back seat and sat on top of the Vice President. I sat in a crouched position and issued orders to the driver. During this time, I heard two more explosion noises..."

It is at this point Youngblood dives into the back seat after which he hears two more shots.

"All of the above related events, from the beginning at the sound of the first shot to the sound of the third shot, happened within a few seconds."

This is an important point - the three shots occurred within a few seconds. Something confirmed by other witnesses:

"I distinctly remember three shots. There was an interval of approximately 5 to 6 seconds from the first to the last shot," C. Carter

The sequence of events is as follows.

First shot
Sees 'abnormal movements' in Pres. limo and Pres. follow-up car.
Turns in his seat, reaches over with left hand, pushes LBJ down towards Ladyhttps://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php/topic,2006.0.html
At the same time he shouts "Get down"
Ladybird and Yarborough duck down immediately.
He jumps on top of LBJ.
Two more shots ring out.
The whole sequence happens in a matter of seconds.

This may have implications for when the second shot occurred.
We know Altgens 6 is taken at z255 and the headshot happens at z313.
If the headshot is the second shot it means Youngblood has just over three seconds to shove LBJ down as he shouts at everyone, then jump in the back to cover LBJ. It's tight but definitely possible.
If there is a shot before the headshot it makes it almost impossible to get all this done.
Altgens 6 strongly supports the headshot as the second shot.

Finally, is it possible to pin down the exact moment Altgens takes his picture in relation to the sequence of events in the car? There is no point in his original report he states he looked to his right for any reason, there is just the vague description of looking to where he thought the explosive noise might be coming from. However, when we turn to his WC testimony he is slightly more specific as to where the sound of the shot came from:

"Mr. SPECTER. Now, did you have any reaction or impression as to the source or point of origin of the first shot?
Mr. YOUNGBLOOD. I didn't know where the source or the point of origin was, of course, but the sounds all came to my right and rear."


It would appear that Altgens 6 was taken at the moment Youngblood was trying ascertain where the shots were coming from. Again, this indicates that the picture was taken very soon after the first shot. Indeed Altgens himself makes that point in his WC testimony:

"I made one picture at the time I heard a noise that sounded like a firecracker--I did not know it was a shot, but evidently my picture, as I recall, and it was almost simultaneously with the shot--the shot was just a fraction ahead of my picture,"

"...it was almost simultaneously with the shot...the shot was just a fraction ahead of my picture." The analysis of Altgens 6 presented here is certainly in accordance with Altgens' own observation.
In the model I'm presenting here the first shot occurs at z223, just 1.7 seconds before the Altgens pic is taken.

[Dan O'meara]

In his testimony, Altgens was pretty sure about two shots.

    "I wasn’t keeping track of the number of pops that took place, but I
     could vouch for No. 1, and I can vouch for the last shot, but I cannot
     tell you how many shots were in between. There was not another
     shot fired after the President was struck in the head. That was the
     last shot--that much I will say with a great degree of certainty."

When pressed, he reluctantly placed a third in between the two he was sure about.

    "I can really only vouch for the two. Now, I know that there was at
     least one shot in between.

     Mr. LIEBELER. At least one?

     I would say that—I know there was one in between. It is possible there
     might have been another one I don’t really know, but two, I can really
     account for.”

Altgens seemed to think he heard more one "firecracker" sound before taking his picture:

    "Well, it sounded like it was coming up from behind the car from my
     position—I mean the first shot, and being fireworks—who counts
     fireworks explosions?"

In 1985, he told Richard Trask:

    "My first instinct was 'well, they're shooting firecrackers up there',
     or some kind of celebration on behalf of the President. And then
     I hear it again as the car comes on down. No one has the foggiest
     idea that something was taking place."

Seems like he's describing multiple "firecracker" sounds before he takes his picture, but had no clear impression the first of those noises was a gunshot. He probably reasoned, as his picture shows Kennedy reacting, that the "firecracker" before that picture was a gunshot. What's really the second shot is "No. 1" in his testimony.

Ahh...the joys of interpreting eye-witness testimony.
Obviously, Jerry, you will be interpreting things to suit your model as I will be interpreting things to suit mine.

"Seems like he's describing multiple "firecracker" sounds before he takes his picture"

I completely disagree.
Altgens is consistent about one thing - he can confidently vouch for two shots and two shots only. In the testimony you posted he makes this point twice:

"I wasn’t keeping track of the number of pops that took place, but I could vouch for No. 1, and I can vouch for the last shot..."

"I can really only vouch for the two."

However, he seems to be convinced there were other shots in between, even though he is only sure about two. When he says - "I can really only vouch for the two. Now, I know that there was at least one shot in between." - the impression I get is that he has heard, as has rest of the country by the time of the WC hearings, that there were three shots. He seems to accept this to be the case but he really has no idea about it as he only heard two shots. To explain why he only heard two shots when the official account is that there were three he uses various vague giveaway phrases:

"I wasn’t keeping track of the number of pops that took place..."

"It is possible there might have been another one I don’t really know, but two, I can really account for.”

"...who counts fireworks explosions?"

Altgens is most certainly not describing a shot before the first shot. He has a very specific memory of the first shot - "the shot was just a fraction ahead of my picture"
There can be no doubt Altgens only remembers two shots - the one just before taking the photo and the headshot. His confusion concerning fireworks, firecrackers, pops etc. is a result of finding out there were actually more shots than he remembers.

More importantly, his recollection of the first shot is confirmed by my analysis of Altgens 6. It is noteworthy that your response to this analysis, that rules out your own proposal of an early missed shot, boils down to a strained interpretation of the word "firecrackers" from testimony that really had nothing to do with the analysis itself.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

In his testimony, Altgens was pretty sure about two shots.

    "I wasn’t keeping track of the number of pops that took place, but I
     could vouch for No. 1, and I can vouch for the last shot, but I cannot
     tell you how many shots were in between. There was not another
     shot fired after the President was struck in the head. That was the
     last shot--that much I will say with a great degree of certainty."

When pressed, he reluctantly placed a third in between the two he was sure about.

    "I can really only vouch for the two. Now, I know that there was at
     least one shot in between.

     Mr. LIEBELER. At least one?

     I would say that—I know there was one in between. It is possible there
     might have been another one I don’t really know, but two, I can really
     account for.”

Altgens seemed to think he heard more one "firecracker" sound before taking his picture:

    "Well, it sounded like it was coming up from behind the car from my
     position—I mean the first shot, and being fireworks—who counts
     fireworks explosions?"

In 1985, he told Richard Trask:

    "My first instinct was 'well, they're shooting firecrackers up there',
     or some kind of celebration on behalf of the President. And then
     I hear it again as the car comes on down. No one has the foggiest
     idea that something was taking place."

Seems like he's describing multiple "firecracker" sounds before he takes his picture, but had no clear impression the first of those noises was a gunshot. He probably reasoned, as his picture shows Kennedy reacting, that the "firecracker" before that picture was a gunshot. What's really the second shot is "No. 1" in his testimony.

The one area where we need to fight our "confirmation bias" more than any other is on this issue of the shots. Timing, spacing and even number.

We stare at the film, pore over testimony, and grab a bit here and another thing there and think we've got it worked out. Then another smart person comes along and points out, "What about this?" and we mumble to ourselves and move on.

It'll drive you mad.