Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. KennedyUnited States. Warren Commission
History
Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Governor Connally testified that he recognized the first noise as a
rifle shot and the thought immediately crossed his mind that it was
an assassination attempt. From his position in the right jump seat
immediately in front of the President, he instinctively turned to his
right because the shot appeared to come from over his right shoulder.
Unable to see the President as he turned to the right, the Governor
started to look back over his left shoulder, but he never completed the
turn because he felt something strike him in the back.[C2-149] In his
testimony before the Commission, Governor Connally was certain that he
was hit by the second shot, which he stated he did not hear.[C2-150]
Mrs. Connally, too, heard a frightening noise from her right. Looking
over her right shoulder, she saw that the President had both hands
at his neck but she observed no blood and heard nothing. She watched
as he slumped down with an empty expression on his face.[C2-151] Roy
Kellerman, in the right front seat of the limousine, heard a report
like a firecracker pop. Turning to his right in the direction of the
noise, Kellerman heard the President say “My God, I am hit,” and saw
both of the President’s hands move up toward his neck. As he told the
driver, “Let’s get out of here; we are hit,” Kellerman grabbed his
microphone and radioed ahead to the lead car, “We are hit. Get us to
the hospital immediately.”[C2-152]
The driver, William Greer, heard a noise which he took to be a backfire
from one of the motorcycles flanking the Presidential car. When he
heard the same noise again, Greer glanced over his shoulder and saw
Governor Connally fall. At the sound of the second shot he realized
that something was wrong, and he pressed down on the accelerator as
Kellerman said, “Get out of here fast.”[C2-153] As he issued his
instructions to Greer and to the lead car, Kellerman heard a “flurry
of shots” within 5 seconds of the first noise. According to Kellerman,
Mrs. Kennedy then cried out: “What are they doing to you?” Looking back
from the front seat, Kellerman saw Governor Connally in his wife’s
lap and Special Agent Clinton J. Hill lying across the trunk of the
car.[C2-154]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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