Did LHO fire a shot that missed everything? If so, when did he fire it?

[John Corbett]

   What are you basing, ".....almost 4 seconds between the first and second shots and almost 5 seconds between the second and third shots"?

Jiggle analysis shows blurred frames and a camera jump at Z155, Z227, and Z318. That's 72 frames between the first and second shots, and 91 frames between the second and third shots.
72 /18.3 = 3.934426229508197... seconds
91 /18.3 = 4.972677595628415... seconds

That's "almost" 10 seconds.

My calculator says it's almost 9.

That's a very long time and should have/would have attracted "eyeballs" from assorted Dealey Plaza positions toward the sniper's nest. According to Amos Euins, this did Not happen.     "POW..............POW/POW"!

It attracted Amos Euins. He saw two shots fired. Howard Brennan saw the last shot.

I really don't think Oswald was two concerned with whether anybody saw him or not. He just wanted to kill JFK. He succeeded. Why would you second guess him.

[Tom Graves]

When one accepts the reality of the Single Bullet Theorem, i.e., that JFK and JBC were struck by CE-399 at approximately Z-222, then one can speculate on whether or not it was Oswald who had fired the earlier, missing-everything, shot, and if so, when he fired it.

Since three spent shells that had been fired from Oswald's Carcano were found in the Sniper's Nest about an hour after the assassination, since the Carcano, with Oswald's prints on it, was found on the sixth floor, and since Oswald was seen on the sixth floor near the Sniper's Nest by Charles Givens at about 12:05 and by Roy Truly and Officer Baker in the second floor lunchroom about 90 seconds after the final shot, we can reasonably assume that that it was Oswald who had fired all three shots.

Now the only remaining question is when he fired the missing-everything shot.

Brian Roselle and Kevin Scearce point out in their 2020 study that an involuntary "startle" reaction to a loud, unexpected sound like a gunshot does not involve a major L-R head rotation, but "flexion" movements (bending the head and neck forward and downward), instead.

They also point out that seven prime witnesses (including five passengers in the limo: JFK, Jackie, JBC, Nellie, and Kellerman) quickly turned their heads within half-a-second of each other between Z-142 and Z-149, indicating that Oswald's missing-everything shot was at hypothetical Z-124, half-a-second before Zapruder resumed filming at Z-133 and 2.02 seconds before Croft took his photo at Z-161.

Rhetorical question: Can even three of those passengers be shown to have turned their heads quickly within half-a-second of each other in any other part of the Zapruder film up to Z-222?

I haven't looked yet, but I rather doubt it.

https://d7922adf-f499-4a26-96d4-8ab2d521fa35.usrfiles.com/ugd/d7922a_e280e26982b44f2c97c6e6e27026e385.pdf

Put rhetorically, at what point other than between frames Z-142 and Z-149 do JFK, Jackie, JBC, Nellie, and Kellerman quickly turn their heads within half-a-second of each other?

Note: The turning of their heads signifies their conscious decisions to do so and therefore are not their "startle reactions."

[Benjamin Cole]

TC--

Thanks for your comments--

"There were almost 4 seconds between the first and second shots and almost 5 seconds between the second and third shots." --TC

Given that we have no reliable audio of the JFKA, I suppose there is no way to prove beyond reasonable doubt what exactly was the cadence of shots on 11.22.

I will say we have two witnesses in different locations, Gov. JBC and Amos Euins, who both said they believed shots  sounded like they were issued by automatic weapons on 11.22. Then we have Secret Service Kellerman, in the limo,  describing the shots as coming in a "flurry."

Sheriff Weitzman reported the second two shots were nearly simultaneous.

Pat Speer did some compilations, and most witnesses reported a "bang....bang-bang" sequence.

I find it hard to reconcile these observations, often from men with experience with firearms, with the five-second gap between the second and third shots, that you posit.

In addition, like JBC's dorsal-side right wrist wound, the James Tague curb-shot seems to defy explanation. I don't have an answer to where that shot came from, and I have never read an answer that holds water.

Like the heavy smell of gunsmoke in DP-GK area in the immediate aftermath of the JFK--when the wind was blowing towards the TSBD from the Third Street Overpass. How?

The odd man flashing Secret Service credentials on the GK area, to DPD Joe Smith and Sheriff Weitzman. Huh?

I won't pretend to know exactly what happened on 11.22, how JBC received his dorsal-side wrist wound, or Tague his face wound. Why so many witnesses reported the second and third shots as "bang-bang." 

Why JBC was still holding his hat at Z-272 in his right hand, if he had already been shot through the wrist.

So, I remain skeptical of the LN explanation of the JFKA.

I am equally skeptical of the vast majority of CT explanations, especially those crafted to promote various ideologies and agendas, or that reflect putrid ethnic biases.

[Tom Graves]

Thanks for your comments.

You're welcome.

[John Corbett]

Put rhetorically, at what point other than between frames Z-142 and Z-149 do JFK, Jackie, JBC, Nellie, and Kellerman quickly turn their heads within half-a-second of each other?

Note: The turning of their heads signifies their conscious decisions to do so and therefore are not their "startle reactions."

You are assuming the turning of the heads is a reaction to hearing a gunshot and that they would turn their heads if they heard a gunshot. Jackie only remembered hearing 2 shots so I don't think she even recognized the first gunshot. She wasn't the only one. JFK did not seem to react to it either. Zapruder's camera jiggle at Z55 isn't proof positive of a gun shot 7 frames earlier but since that same pattern was repeated on the subsequent shot, I think it is the best indication we have of when the first shot was fired. If I remember right you are postulating a first shot at virtual frame 124. That would mean the reaction you think you see at Z142 was almost 1 second later. That seems like a very slow startle response to me.

[Tom Graves]

If I remember right, you are postulating a first shot at virtual frame 124. That would mean the reaction you think you see at Z-142 was almost one second later. That seems like a very slow startle response to me.

If you'll go back and read my earlier posts, you'll see that I'm not talking about their "startle responses."

I'm talking about their intentional head turns about a second after their "startle responses."

Which "startle responses," if the first shot did occur half-a-second before Zapruder resumed filming at Z-133 (and pretty darn far from his camera), probably wouldn't be discernable by us, anyway.


Regarding said intentional head turns:

1) JFK starts a quick look to the left at Z-142

2) Jackie starts accelerated head turning left at Z-142

3) Connally begins a quick head turn left at Z-149, followed by quickly looking back right.

4) Nellie begins a quick sweeping head turn to the right at Z-144

5) Kellerman begins leaning over and looking behind/down to the right at Z-148



ME: What are the typical characteristics of the "startle reaction" / "startle response" of a person who hears a loud noise behind them?

GROK: The typical "startle reaction" to a sudden loud noise from behind is an automatic, involuntary acoustic startle reflex (also called the startle response or startle pattern). This is a rapid defensive reaction mediated by the brainstem that happens in a fraction of a second — often before you’re consciously aware of the sound.

Sequence of the Typical Reaction

Immediate muscle response (within ~30–100 milliseconds):

Eye blink (the fastest and most reliable component).

Neck and shoulder contraction: The head and shoulders jerk downward or forward slightly (a "head dip" or shrug).  [Note: Not a turning of the head]

Upper body flexion: Arms bend inward toward the chest, fists may clench, and the torso hunches or crouches protectively.

Leg response: Knees may bend slightly; in stronger reactions, the whole body jumps or flinches upward.

Orienting/turning component (slightly slower, ~200–500 ms):

Because the noise is behind you, you’ll often rapidly turn your head and upper body toward the source to identify the threat. This is part of the "orienting response" that follows the initial startle.

Autonomic (body-wide) effects:

Heart rate spikes.

Adrenaline surge (fight-or-flight activation).

Increased alertness and faster breathing.

Sweating or a brief "cold" feeling.

Why This Pattern?

Evolutionarily, a loud noise from behind signals a potential predator or danger you can’t see. The reflex protects vital areas (neck, spine, eyes) and prepares you to either flee or turn and confront the threat. It’s very consistent across people, though the intensity varies based on:

How unexpected or loud the noise is.

Individual factors (anxiety level, fatigue, caffeine, PTSD, etc. — people with anxiety or trauma often show exaggerated responses).

Context (you’re less startled in a noisy environment you expect).

Everyday ExamplesJumping and whipping your head around when someone drops a tray behind you in a café.

The classic "someone sneaks up and yells 'Boo!'" reaction — shoulders up, arms in, then spin around.

Drivers slamming on the brakes or swerving slightly after a loud horn from behind.

The startle reflex is one of the most reliable and well-studied responses in psychology and neuroscience. It’s used in labs to measure fear, anxiety, and neurological function because it’s so automatic. In most healthy people, it lasts only a second or two before conscious control and appraisal take over ("Oh, it was just a door slamming").

Costella-frame-by-frame:

https://assassinationresearch.com/zfilm/

[Tom Graves]

You are assuming the turning of the heads is a reaction to hearing a gunshot and that they would turn their heads if they heard a gunshot.

If JFK and the others heard a loud firecracker /  backfire sound (or, in Connally's case, the sound of a high-powered rifle shot) behind them while travelling down Elm Street in "nut country" Dallas, would you expect them to continue looking in the direction they were looking before the sound and to perhaps start chatting about it, or would you expect them to, after the original shock, quickly turn their heads to try to figure out where the sound had come from and/or to see the reactions their spouses / colleagues?

When five of the six people in the limo do it nearly simultaneously, it's highly unlikely that it's just a coincidence.