The First Shot

[Dan O'meara]

Both Chism and Newman could not have been more explicit in declaring they only heard two shots. It does not require any explanation or interpretation if you just read what they stated. Jean Newman states the first shot occurred after the car was past her not before. The first shot took place when the limo was between where Jean Newman and the Chisms were standing not before it got to them.

Jean Newman:

My name is Jean Newman. I live with my parents, my father's name is G. O. Kimbriel. I work at the Rheam Manufacturing Company.

I was standing right on this side of the Stemmons Freeway sign, about half-way between the sign and the edge of the building on the corner. I was by myself, there were other people around watching the motorcade. The motorcade had just passed me when I heard that I thought was a firecracker at first, and the President had just passed me, because after he had just passed, there was a loud report, it just scared me, and I noticed that the President jumped, he sort of ducked his head down and I thought at the time that it probably scared him, too, just like it did me, because he flinched, like he jumped. I saw him put his elbows like this, with his hands on his chest.

By this time, the motorcade never did stop, and the President fell to his left and his wife jumped up on her knees, I believe it was, in the back of the car on her knees, I couldn't say that for sure. And I realized then it had been a shot. I looked in the car and she was on her knees, and he wasn't even visible in the car. I looked around then, and everyone was running every which way, I don't know why I didn't run, I just stood there and backed up and looked around to see if I could see anything, but I saw no one whatever with anything that resembled a gun or anything of that kind.

I just heard two shots.

John Chism:

When I saw the motorcade round the corner, the President was standing and waving to the crowd. And just as he got just about in front of me, he turned and waved at the crowd on this side of the street, the right side; at this point I heard what sounded like one shot, and I saw him, "The President," sit back in his seat and lean his head to his left side. At this point, I saw Mrs. Kennedy stand up and pull his head over in her lap, and then lay down over him as if to shield him.

And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired. At this point, I looked behind me, to see whether it was a fireworks display or something. And then I saw a lot of people funning for cover, behind the embankment there back up on the grass.

And at this point, I turned back around and saw the motorcade beginning to speed up, and everybody was laying down but the driver, of course. I didn't notice where it went. My wife and I began seeking cover, and we went to our car, and then we told the policeman about what we knew.
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This particular statement by John Chism exactly matches to what Kellerman testifies to in his WC testimony about turning after the first shot and before the second, the head shot.
"And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired"

Kellerman Official Report
 "We were still traveling at the normal rate of speed of from 12 to 15 miles per hour when I heard a noise, similar to a firecracker, exploding in the area to the rear of the car, about 12:30 p.m....... I turned around to find out what happened when two additional shots rang out, and the President slumped into Mrs. Kennedy's lap and Governor Connally fell_to Mrs. Connally's lap."

WC testimony:
 Mr. KELLERMAN. As we turned off Houston onto Elm and made the short little dip to the left going down grade, as I said, we were away from buildings, and were there was a sign on the side of the road which I don't recall what it was or what it said, but we no more than passed that and you are out in the open, and there is a report like a firecracker, pop. And I turned my head to the right because whatever this noise was I was sure that it came from the right and perhaps into the rear, and as I turned my head to the right to view whatever it was or see whatever it was


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.

This particular statement by John Chism exactly matches to what Kellerman testifies to in his WC testimony about turning after the first shot and before the second, the head shot.
"And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired"



For me, Chism's observation about the headshot is validated because it is confirmed by the Z-film:

[Bill Chapman]

Boom -- another insightful contribution.

Boom. Another intimidated Oswald-lover.

[Jack Nessan]

This particular statement by John Chism exactly matches to what Kellerman testifies to in his WC testimony about turning after the first shot and before the second, the head shot.
"And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired"



For me, Chism's observation about the headshot is validated because it is confirmed by the Z-film:

Zapruder thought there was only two shots.

Mr. ZAPRUDER - Well, as the car came in line almost--I believe it was almost in line. I was standing up here and I was shooting through a telephoto lens, which is a zoom lens and as it reached about--I imagine it was around here--I heard the first shot and I saw the President lean over and grab himself like this (holding his left chest area).
Mr. LIEBELER - Grab himself on the front of his chest?
Mr. ZAPRUDER - Right---something like that. In other words, he was sitting like this and waving and then after the shot he just went like that.
Mr. LIEBELER - He was sitting upright in the car and you heard the shot and you saw the President slump over?
Mr. ZAPRUDER - Leaning--leaning toward the side of Jacqueline. For a moment I thought it was, you know, like you say, "Oh, he got me," when you hear a shot--you've heard these expressions and then I saw---I don't believe the President is going to make jokes like this, but before I had a chance to organize my mind, I heard a second shot and then I saw his head opened up and the blood and everything came out and I started--I can hardly talk about it [ the witness crying].


Mr. ZAPRUDER - I thought I heard two, it could be three, because to my estimation I thought he was hit on the second--I really don't know. The whole thing that has been transpiring--it was very upsetting and as you see I got a little better all the time and this came up again and it to me looked like the second shot, but I don't know. I never even heard a third shot.
Mr. LIEBELER - You didn't hear any shot after you saw him hit?
Mr. ZAPRUDER - I heard the second--after the first shot--I saw him leaning over and after the second shot--it's possible after what I saw, you know, then I started yelling,




The Willis 5 photo with JFK waving to the crowd in the area of Newman, Chisms, and the secretaries Calvery, Hicks and Westbrook at Z202+.

[Jerry Organ]

Both Chism and Newman could not have been more explicit in declaring they only heard two shots. It does not require any explanation or interpretation if you just read what they stated. Jean Newman states the first shot occurred after the car was past her not before. The first shot took place when the limo was between where Jean Newman and the Chisms were standing not before it got to them.

Jean Newman can see the front of the car at Z200. Newman's description perfectly coincides with the limousine being at the Z220s and the shot being heard then. That's about where the car had "just passed" her.

If you're arguing two shots only (based on witnesses like Newman), then the "first shot" occurred in the Z220s.

I'm saying some witnesses seem to have lost track of the first shot, probably because it missed and was perceived as a "backfire" or "firecracker" (plus motorcycles were accelerating as they left the turn and the crowd along Elm began shouting).

Could be that in some cases, the authorities asked them about the shots that struck and the witness didn't volunteer the shot that missed. Texans are independent to the level of stupidity; case-in-point: privatizing energy utilities.

[John Tonkovich]

It's such an obvious point that is regularly brushed under the carpet.
A bullet, fired from the SN, passing clean through JFK must hit JBC.

Really? It must?
The autopsy - not conjecture, but physical evidence - describes a bullet entering Kennedy's back. No exit wound.

[Walt Cakebread]

This particular statement by John Chism exactly matches to what Kellerman testifies to in his WC testimony about turning after the first shot and before the second, the head shot.
"And the two men in the front seat, I don't know who they were, looked back, and just about the time they looked back, the second shot was fired"



For me, Chism's observation about the headshot is validated because it is confirmed by the Z-film:

Dan. have you read Tink Thompson's story about his investigation of the events depicted in the Z film.
You may find some answers in Thompson's story.

[Jerry Organ]

What a brilliant critique Jerry!

Even this sad, pathetic response is wrong. Nowhere does it say the agents reacted "instantaneously".
Do you have any idea how weak this response looks?
This is the brilliant argument you put forward to undermine the ramifications of my analysis of Altgens 6?
It's the death knell for your model and your response reflects that.

I take this as a ringing endorsement of the arguments I've put forward.

This reminds me of when Mason says you "agree" with him.

[John Iacoletti]

Boom. Another intimidated Oswald-lover.

How's your Dad's grave being kept up?  You couldn't "intimidate" a flea.