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 a square across Eighth Street, accompanied by Congressman Jim Wright, Senator Yarborough, Governor Connally and Vice President Johnson. Kennedy is praising Fort Worth's aviation industry. At 9:10 a.m., JFK takes his place in the hotel's Grand Ballroom for the scheduled speech, the First Lady arriving amid loud applause 15 minutes later. After the speech, Roy Kellerman, the Secret Service agent in charge of the trip, is advised by Kenny O'Donnell that the presidential limousine should have its bubbletop off if it's not raining in Dallas. Later, press secretary Mac Kilduff shows the First Couple a disturbing advertisement seen in "The