Assassination of John F. Kennedy President Kennedy as his motorcade continued down Elm Street. About 80% of the witnesses recalled hearing three shots. A minority of the witnesses recognized the first gunshot they heard as weapon fire, but there was hardly any reaction to the first shot from a majority of the people in the crowd or those riding in the motorcade. Many bystanders later said that they heard what they first thought to either be a firecracker or the backfire of one of the vehicles shortly after the President had begun waving. Although some close witnesses recalled seeing the limousine slow down, nearly stop,
Timeline of the John F. Kennedy assassination 11, 1963: Kenneth O'Donnell sends a letter of reply to Jack Valenti formally accepting his invitation for the President to speak at the dinner honoring Rep. Albert Thomas. October 15, 1963: Ruth Paine calls the Texas School Book Depository and speaks to building superintendent Roy Truly, and convinces him to give Oswald a job interview. Truly interviews him that same day and hires Oswald as a temporary employee and he starts training the following day. October 20, 1963: Kenneth O'Donnell, special assistant and Appointments Secretary to President Kennedy, calls Jerry Bruno the advance man for the Kennedy trips, and asks