The First Shot

[Steve M. Galbraith]

The 'ducking' reaction is caused by the fragments from the headshot.
Headshot - fragments - reaction

Not to sidetrack this too much but I have always been confused by Kellermann's usage of the phrase "flurry of shells come into the car." Later, he said "flurry of shots." Shells or shots or what?

When asked for more details, he said this:
Mr. SPECTER. Now, in your prior testimony you described a flurry of shells into the car. How many shots did you hear after the first noise which you described as sounding like a firecracker?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, these shells came in all together.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you able to say how many you heard?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I am going to say two, and it was like a double bang--bang, bang.

Two shots or shells, for me, is not a "flurry" of anything.

I would guess that the sounds of the fragments hitting the chrome and the windshield must have sounded like shots. Or shells. Or something. But he said just two "shells."

In any case, as I've said above, trying to discern all of this from the accounts will drive you mad. It's frustrating as hell and I gave up on it a long time ago.

[Walt Cakebread]

I'm of the opinion that the bullet that struck JBC's wrist fragmented on impact, there is a relatively large entrance wound on the lateral side of his arm just above the wrist and a small slit-like exit in the crease of his wrist, plus metallic particles embedded in his wrist.
This bullet is not CE399
The bullet that struck JFK's head also fragmented, spraying the front of the limo.
This bullet is not CE399
And one bullet missed - who knows what happened to that? Could that somehow be CE399? I doubt it very much.

Where did CE 399 come from?
A corridor in Parkland hospital.
How did it get there?
Who knows beyond speculation.

An excellent summation,  Dan

[Andrew Mason]

Not to sidetrack this too much but I have always been confused by Kellermann's usage of the phrase "flurry of shells come into the car." Later, he said "flurry of shots." Shells or shots or what?

When asked for more details, he said this:
Mr. SPECTER. Now, in your prior testimony you described a flurry of shells into the car. How many shots did you hear after the first noise which you described as sounding like a firecracker?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Mr. Specter, these shells came in all together.
Mr. SPECTER. Are you able to say how many you heard?
Mr. KELLERMAN. I am going to say two, and it was like a double bang--bang, bang.

Two shots or shells, for me, is not a "flurry" of anything.

I would guess that the sounds of the fragments hitting the chrome and the windshield must have sounded like shots. Or shells. Or something. But he said just two "shells."

In any case, as I've said above, trying to discern all of this from the accounts will drive you mad. It's frustrating as hell and I gave up on it a long time ago.

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.

[Jack Nessan]

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.

 Kellerman is very specific when asked about the shots that the second shot was the headshot
Mr. SPECTER. Now, to the best of your ability to recollect, exactly when did your automobile first accelerate?
Mr. KELLERMAN. Our car accelerated immediately on the time-at the time--this flurry of shots came into it.
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.

[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.