 
The Assassination
of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was very well known president. He made wise decisions for our country and believed that all people were created equal, but on November 22, 1963, that all changed. President Kennedy was assassinated. It began as just another normal day for the president and his wife, Jackie. They had to go to Dallas, Texas for an important political dinner. Governor George Connelly and his wife were also attending the dinner. On their way to the dinner, they took a convertible limousine through Dealy Plaza. There were a ton of people in the streets, waving at the president and his wife. While this was all happening, a man by the name of Arnold Rowland, looked up at the Texas School Book Depository, saw a man with a gun and jumping to conclusions, asked his wife if she would like to see a Secret Service Agent. Little did he know that the man that he had seen, might have been the murderer of John F. Kennedy. Around 12:30 p.m., just as the limousine was passing the Texas School Book Depository, a shot from nowhere was fired. President Kennedy grabbed his neck, as if he had been hit. He had, indeed been hit; the bullet had gone through his neck. As soon as this happened, Jackie Kennedy screamed, "They’ve killed my husband!"After a few seconds, another shot was fired. This time, it had hit both Connelly and Kennedy. The bullet hit Connelly in the shoulder and in the thigh and Kennedy in the skull. It was like a madhouse. People were falling to the ground trying not to get shot, mothers were protecting their children, nobody knew where the bullets had come from. Right after the shooting, the limousine rushed to the nearest hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital. Nobody knew what really had happened to the people inside the limousine. Kennedy’s physician was in another vehicle waiting anxiously, not knowing that the president was dying. Father Huber gave John F. Kennedy his last rites. After he gave him his rites, a United Press International, Hugh Sidney asked if Kennedy was dead. Father Huber replied by saying, "Yes, he’s dead all right."John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital at 1:00 p.m. that day. After he was pronounced dead, Lyndon Baines Johnson, became thirty-sixth president of the United States of America. Jackie Kennedy, who was still in her bloody clothes, watched as Johnson officially became president. Three days later, on November 25, 1963, there was a funeral held for Kennedy. It was a sad and mournful day for many, especially for John F. Kennedy Jr., whose birthday it was. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Who shot the president? These were among the many questions that were asked around the time, and that are still being asked today. There are many theories that have been accounted for, but the answer is still a mystery. One example of a theory is that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only killer. When Arnold Rowland looked up at the Texas School Book Depository, instead of a Secret Service Agent, he really saw Oswald with the rifle. This theory also states that Oswald had shot both shots, one after another. It’s strange though, nobody, even the best gunmen in the world could have aimed that well, out of the 6th story floor. It is also very hard to shoot two shots in a row in the amount of time that they occurred. Just maybe, there was another gunman. That theory led into other ones. One of them is called the Single Bullet Theory. The Single Bullet Theory states the first shot that Oswald fired hit both Kennedy and Connelly. Connelly denied being hit with the same bullet as Kennedy. In a video taken at the scene, it shows that the president grabs his neck right after the first shot was fired. Governor Connelly, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be in pain until another few seconds, when supposedly, the other shot was fired. The last two theories are ones that have to do with another killer besides Oswald. The first one is the Umbrella Theory. The day of the president’s assassination, it was a beautiful out. There was no sign of rain or anything. However, there was a man at the scene holding an open umbrella when Kennedy’s limousine was passing by. This man was also with a dark-complexion man. When the first shot was fired, he raised his hand in the air. While everybody was screaming and panicking because of the shots, the two men went and sat on the curb as if nothing had happened at all. One of the men talked into a walkie-talkie, which makes some people believe that he could have been talking to the gunman. After talking into the walkie-talkie, both men went off in different directions. After the national appeal of these men, the man with the umbrella was identified. His name was Louis Steven Witt. He was questioned and said that he didn’t remember a dark-complexion man, but an African American that said to him that people had been shot. And the last theory is one that states that there was another killer hiding in a grassy knoll, in the plaza. It was an area with a lot of shrubs and tall grass, a perfect place for someone to hide. Some witnesses claimed to have heard gunshots coming from around the knoll. A lot of people think that Oswald had indeed shot the first shot, but that someone in the grassy knoll had shot the second. Nobody knows for sure. As you can see, there are many mysteries about this tragic event. Nobody knows or will ever know why this had to happen, and who really did kill John F. Kennedy. All we know is that he was a great man, a great leader and a loved president. BibliographyHoare, Stephen. The Assassination of John F. Kennedy. London: Dyrad Press Limited, 1998. "The Kennedy Assassination". Mcadams, John. Online. Available http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm, 1995-2001. Accessed 18 March 2001. Randall, Marta. John F. Kennedy. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. "Ready Reference Information about John F. Kennedy." NARA. Available http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/jfkmisc.htm, 1996. Accessed 19 March 2001.
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