Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: Difference between revisions

Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
	UTC−7)
Target	Robert F. Kennedy (died on June 6, 1968, from injuries)
Attack type	Political assassination
Weapons	Iver Johnson .22 revolver
Injured	Paul Schrade, William Weisel, Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein, Irwin Stroll
Perpetrator	Sirhan Sirhan

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Revision as of 07:07, 2 September 2022

On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan shortly after midnight at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles. He was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. PDT the following day.

Kennedy was a senator from New York and a candidate in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries. On June 4, 1968, he won the California and South Dakota primary elections. He addressed his campaign supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Room ballroom. After leaving the podium, exiting through a kitchen hallway, he was mortally wounded by multiple shots fired by Sirhan. Kennedy died at Good Samaritan Hospital nearly 26 hours later. His body was buried at Arlington National Cemetery near his brother John F. Kennedy's grave.

Sirhan was a Palestinian who held strong

pro-Palestinian beliefs. In 1969, he testified that he killed Kennedy "with 20 years of malice aforethought";^[2] he was convicted and sentenced to death. Due to the court case People v. Anderson, his sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 with a possibility of parole

. As of January 2022, his parole request has been denied 16 times.

Kennedy's assassination prompted the Secret Service to protect presidential candidates. Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic nominee but ultimately lost the election to Republican candidate Richard Nixon. Kennedy's assassination has led to several conspiracy theories. No credible evidence has emerged that Sirhan was not the shooter, or that he did not act alone. It has been described as one of four major assassinations in the United States that occurred during the 1960s.

Background

Dallas, Texas;^[11] Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumed the presidency.^[12] Johnson retained almost all prominent Kennedy advisors, including Robert as attorney general.^[3]^[12] Robert was deeply affected by his brother's assassination.^[13]^[14] Despite his political differences with Johnson, he remained in the cabinet.^[3]

In 1964, polls showed that various Democrats wanted Kennedy to be Johnson's running mate in the presidential election.^[15] Kennedy instead organized his senatorial campaign in New York,^[16] challenging Kenneth Keating, an incumbent Republican senator.^[17] During a campaign speech, Kennedy declared his support for Israel, stating that in the event of an attack, "we will stand by Israel and come to her assistance".^[18] He won the election; during his congressional career, he supported civil rights and opposed Johnson's policies during the Vietnam War.^[3]

The 1968 presidential campaign has been referred to as one of the most volatile campaigns in American history;^[19] there was opposition to the ongoing Vietnam War. It also was a period of social unrest with riots in major cities.^[20] Allard K. Lowenstein, a Democratic politician, organized a "Dump Johnson" movement to prevent Johnson's nomination as the presidential candidate,^[21] and asked Kennedy to run instead. Kennedy refused, asserting that he did not want to split the Democratic Party for his benefit.^[3] Eugene McCarthy, a senator from Minnesota, emerged as the leader of the "Dump Johnson" movement and entered several state presidential primaries.^[22] In late January 1968, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, in the view of historian Lloyd Gardner, "shattered hopes that the war could be won within a reasonable period of time—if ever—and broke open the cracks in the Democratic coalition".^[23]

On March 12, 1968, in the New Hampshire Democratic primary election, McCarthy nearly defeated Johnson^[24] with 42 percent to Johnson's 49 percent of the votes.^[22] Four days later, Kennedy announced his presidential campaign.^[25] On March 31, Johnson announced that he would not seek the presidency.^[26] Four days later, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, leading to further riots in several cities.^[27] The same day, Kennedy gave a speech in Indianapolis, Indiana,^[28] saying:

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. ... let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.^[29]

In April, Vice President Hubert Humphrey announced his candidacy for the presidency. He mostly avoided primaries and focused on states which held caucuses. Contrary to Kennedy, Humphrey did not publicly oppose the Vietnam War.^[30]

Assassination

California primary and shooting

Refer to the caption — Kennedy addressing supporters in the Embassy Ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel

The California presidential primary elections were held on June 4, 1968. Polls by CBS showed Kennedy leading by 7 percent.^[31] The statewide results gave Kennedy 46 percent to McCarthy's 42 percent.^[32] He was in second place with 393+1⁄2 delegates, against Humphrey's 561+1⁄2 delegates.^[33] Kennedy also won the South Dakota primary, winning approximately 50 percent of the vote.^[34] Author Joseph Palermo referred to the victory as Kennedy's "greatest".^[35]

At approximately 00:02 a.m.

PDT^[36] the next day, Kennedy addressed his campaign supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Room ballroom in the Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles.^[37] The government did not provide Secret Service protection for presidential candidates.^[38] Kennedy's only security personnel was former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent William Barry and two unofficial bodyguards: Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson^[39] and former football player Rosey Grier.^[40] At approximately 00:15 a.m., concluding his victory speech, Kennedy said: "So my thanks to all of you and on to Chicago and let's win there."^[41] Kennedy planned to walk through the ballroom after speaking on his way to another gathering of supporters. Reporters wanted a press conference; campaign aide Fred Dutton decided that Kennedy would forgo the second gathering and instead go through the hotel's kitchen and pantry area behind the ballroom to the press area.^[42] Kennedy had welcomed contact with the public during the campaign, and people had often tried to touch him in excitement.^[43] Soon after Kennedy concluded the speech, he started to exit when Barry stopped him and said, "No, it's been changed. We're going this way."^[42] Barry and Dutton began clearing a way for Kennedy to go left through swinging doors to the kitchen corridor, but he was hemmed in by the crowd and followed maître d'hôtel Karl Uecker through a back exit.^[42] Uecker led Kennedy through the kitchen area, holding his right wrist, but frequently releasing it as Kennedy shook hands with people whom he encountered.^[44] Uecker and Kennedy started down a passageway narrowed by an ice machine and a steam table in the north.^[44]

Kennedy turned to his left and shook hands with Juan Romero,

United Automobile Workers union, Democratic Party activist Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein of the Continental News Service, and Kennedy campaign volunteer Irwin Stroll.^[49] A minute later, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but others grabbed him.^[50] Barry went to Kennedy and placed his jacket under Kennedy's head.^[50] Reporters and photographers rushed into the area. As Kennedy lay wounded, Romero cradled his head and placed a rosary in his hand.^[51] Kennedy asked Romero, "Is everybody OK?"; Romero responded, "Yes, everybody's OK." Kennedy then turned away and said, "Everything's going to be OK."^[52] The moment was captured by Life photographer Bill Eppridge and Boris Yaro of the Los Angeles Times and became the iconic image of the assassination.^[53]

Immediate aftermath and death

As the shooting took place, ABC News was signing off from its electoral broadcast, while the CBS coverage had been concluded.

CBS radio affiliate KNX (AM) interrupted its rundown of local primary returns to provide coverage of the shooting.^[54]

Kennedy's wife Ethel was three months pregnant;^[56] she stood outside the scene.^[57] She was soon led to Kennedy and knelt beside him. Kennedy turned his head seeming to recognize her.^[58] Smith promptly appeared on television and asked for a doctor.^[59] After several minutes, medical attendants arrived and lifted Kennedy onto a stretcher, prompting him to whisper, "Don't lift me", which were his last words;^[60]^[61] he lost consciousness shortly after.^[62] He was taken 1 mile (1.6 km) away to Central Receiving Hospital. A doctor slapped his face, calling, "Bob, Bob", while another doctor massaged his heart.^[63] After obtaining a good heartbeat, doctors handed a stethoscope to Ethel so that she could hear his heart beating.^[64] After about 30 minutes, Kennedy was transferred several blocks to the Good Samaritan Hospital to undergo surgery. A gymnasium near the hospital was set up as temporary headquarters for the press and news media to receive updates on his condition. Surgery began at 3:12 a.m. and lasted approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.^[65] At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, spokesman Frank Mankiewicz announced that Kennedy's doctors were "concerned over his continuing failure to show improvement"; his condition remained critical to life.^[66]

Kennedy was shot three times. One bullet was fired at a range of 1 inch (3 cm) that entered behind his right ear, dispersing fragments throughout his brain.^[67] The other two entered at the rear of his right armpit; one exited from his chest and the other lodged in the back of his neck.^[68] Despite extensive neurosurgery to remove the bullet and bone fragments from his brain, he was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. on June 6, nearly 26 hours after the shooting.^[63] Mankiewicz left the hospital and walked to the gymnasium where the press and news media were set up for continuous updates on the situation. At 2 a.m. on June 6, Mankiewicz announced Kennedy's death.^[69] The following week, NBC devoted 55 hours to the shooting and aftermath, ABC 43 hours, and CBS 42 hours, with all three networks initially pre-empting their regular coverage and advertisements to cover the story.^[54]

Funeral and aftermath

Following Kennedy's autopsy on June 6, his remains were taken to Manhattan, where his casket was viewed by thousands at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The funeral mass was held on the morning of June 8.^[70] Kennedy's younger brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, delivered the eulogy, saying:

My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it ... As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: "Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."^[71]

Kennedy's body was transported via train to

shantytown protest site.^[73] The procession stopped in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where residents of Resurrection City joined the group, and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was sung.^[74] Kennedy was buried near his older brother John in the Arlington National Cemetery. This was the first burial to have ever taken place there at night.^[70]^[72] After the assassination, Congress altered the Secret Service's mandate to include protection for presidential candidates.^[75]

At the time of his death, Kennedy was substantially behind Humphrey in convention delegate support,

electoral vote.^[78]

Perpetrator

Sirhan Sirhan was born on March 19, 1944, in

pro-Palestinian beliefs.^[85]

In 1966, while pursuing a career as a jockey, Sirhan fell from a running horse,^[82] suffering minor injuries. A friend of Sirhan said that after this incident, Sirhan was "impatient, nervous, emotional and always in a hurry".^[86] A diary was found during a search of his home, where he wrote on May 18: "Robert Kennedy must be assassinated ... My determination to eliminate RFK is becoming more and more of an unshakable obsession. RFK must die. RFK must be killed."^[18]^[87]^[88]

Investigation and trial

Due to Sirhan being a non-citizen, it was illegal under California law for him to purchase firearms.^[89] He violated three California laws by possessing the pistol he used to kill Kennedy.^[89] Loren Coleman suggested that the date of the assassination is significant because it was the first anniversary of the start of the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors.^[90]

When Sirhan was booked by police, they found a newspaper article in his pocket that discussed Kennedy's support for Israel;

California v. Anderson.^[94]^[95] Prison officers said in 1975 that Sirhan would be freed on parole in 1986. In 1982, however, the California Board of Prison Term rescinded the parole date citing death threats made by Sirhan from the prison.^[96] In 1989, Sirhan told David Frost in prison that his sole connection with Kennedy was "[Kennedy's] support of Israel and his deliberate attempt to send those 50 bombers to Israel to obviously do harm to the Palestinians."^[97] Although a study published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists referred Sirhan as a "withdrawn fanatic with multiple identity problems", the author James W. Clarke stated that Sirhan was motivated primarily by political issues than his personal temperament.^[98] Sirhan's lawyers attempted to use a defense of diminished responsibility during the trial,^[99] while Sirhan tried to confess to the crime and change his plea to guilty on several occasions.^[2] He testified that he had killed Kennedy "with 20 years of malice aforethought".^[2] As of 2022, Sirhan has been denied parole 16 times.^[100] His lawyers have claimed that he was framed, and he claims to have no memory of his crime.^[95]^[101]

In February 2012, Sirhan's lawyers William F. Pepper and Laurie Dusek filed a court brief in District Court in Los Angeles claiming that a second gunman fired the shots that killed Kennedy. It was the fourth and final in a series of federal briefs filed under habeas corpus by Pepper and Dusek beginning in October 2010.^[102] Judge Beverly Reid O'Connell denied the petition in 2015.^[103] During Sirhan's 2016 parole hearing, Paul Schrade, who was shot and wounded on the assassination night, asserted that fatal shots to Kennedy were shot by a different shooter. He claimed that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) destroyed evidence, "hid ballistic evidence exonerating Sirhan, and covered up conclusive evidence that a second gunman fatally wounded Robert Kennedy."^[104] In August 2021, two of Kennedy's children, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Douglas Harriman Kennedy, supported Sirhan's parole, while many others disagreed.^[105] The same month, the California state parole panel recommended Sirhan's parole.^[106] Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, denied the parole in January 2022, asserting in an opinion piece for Los Angeles Times that "Sirhan has not developed the accountability and insight required to support his safe release into the community."^[107]

Conspiracy theories

CIA involvement hypothesis

In November 2006, the

heart attack in 1962, six years before Kennedy's assassination. In response, O'Sullivan stated that the man on the video may have used Campbell's name as an alias. O'Sullivan stood by his allegations stating that the Bulova watch company was a "well-known CIA cover".^[110]

Second gunman hypothesis

The location of Kennedy's wounds suggested that his assailant had stood behind him, while some witnesses assert that Sirhan faced west as Kennedy moved through the pantry facing east.

County of Los Angeles, who stated that the fatal shot was behind Kennedy's right ear and had been fired at a distance of approximately 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters).^[112] Other witnesses said that Kennedy was turning to his left shaking hands as Sirhan approached, facing north and so exposing his right side.^[113]

During a re-examination of the case in 1975, the

Forensic audio specialists Wes Dooley and Paul Pegas of Audio Engineering Associates in Pasadena examined Van Praag's findings and corroborated the presence of at least 10 shots on the tape along with an over-lapping shot. ^[115] Other acoustic experts have claimed that they could find no more than eight shots recorded on the audiotape.^[116] In 2008, eyewitness John Pilger asserted his belief that there must have been a second gunman.^[117]

Legacy

"It made me realize that no matter how much hope you have it can be taken away in a second."
— Juan Romero [52]

Kennedy's assassination was one of the four major assassinations in the 1960s, the other three include the assassination of John F. Kennedy (1963), the assassination of Malcolm X (1965), and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968).^[118] Some scholars view the assassination as one of the first major incidents of political violence in the United States stemming from the Arab–Israeli conflict in the Middle East.^[119]

Until 1987, the LAPD retained the original files, reports, transcripts, fragments of the bullets that struck Kennedy and the four other bystanders in the kitchen pantry, the .22 caliber Iver-Johnson handgun used by Sirhan, Kennedy's blood-stained clothes, and other artifacts related to the assassination. In 1987, the LAPD donated the entire evidence collection (except for Kennedy's clothes) to the

Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Archives of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (known as the Southeastern Massachusetts University before 1991) also contains a large collection of materials on the assassination.^[121]

In 2006, American filmmaker Emilio Estevez wrote and directed the film Bobby. He attempted to recreate the scene of the assassination through a fictional account. According to the author Ron Briley, "the history in Bobby is often misleading".^[122] Kennedy's blood-stained shirt, tie, and jacket are now in the possession of the Los Angeles County District Attorney. A controversy occurred in 2010 when Kennedy's clothing was transported to the California Homicide Investigators Association conference in Las Vegas, where they were included in a temporary public display. Max Kennedy called it a "cheap bid for attention." The items and Kennedy's clothing were subsequently removed from the exhibit, with the LAPD apologizing to the Kennedy family.^[123]^[124]

References

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^ ^a ^b ^c Time (c) 1969.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f O'Neill 2000.
^ Bass 2003, p. 50.
^ Heymann 1998, p. 45.
^ Bass 2003, p. 51.
^ Davis 1992, p. 650.
^ Heymann 1998, pp. 182–183.
^ Palermo 2001, p. 4.
^ Hayes 2019, pp. 1–3.
^ Kurtz 1982, p. 1.
^ ^a ^b Palermo 2001, p. 5.
^ Thomas 2002, p. 21.
^ Clarke 2008, p. 19.
^ Palermo 2001, pp. 5–6.
^ Palermo 2001, p. 6.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 43.
^ ^a ^b Ayton 2007, p. x.
^ Sieg 1996, p. 1062.
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^ Hoogenboom 2000.
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^ Moldea 1995, p. 19.
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^ Clarke 2008, p. 96.
^ Curtin 2000.
^ Clarke 2008, p. 265.
^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 410.
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^ Clarke 2008, p. 266.
^ Palermo 2001, p. 245.
^ O'Sullivan 2008, p. 495.
^ Thomas 2002, p. 387.
^ O'Sullivan 2008, p. 159.
^ Clarke 2008, pp. 8, 119.
^ Moldea 1995, p. 46.
^ The New York Times 1968.
^ ^a ^b ^c Witcover 1988, pp. 264–265.
^ Witcover 1988, pp. 113–114.
^ ^a ^b Moldea 1995, p. 33.
^ Melanson 1994, p. 18.
^ Moldea 1995, p. 96.
^ Witcover 1988, pp. 266, 269.
^ ^a ^b Hodak 2012, p. 72.
^ ^a ^b Time (a) 1968.
^ ^a ^b Witcover 1988, p. 269.
^ Time 1998.
^ ^a ^b Allen 2015.
^ Reynolds 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c Time (c) 1968.
^ ABC.
^ Segalov 2018.
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^ Witcover 1988, p. 272.
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^ ^a ^b Time (b) 1968.
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^ Witcover 1988, p. 289.
^ Time (a) 1969.
^ Moldea 1995, p. 85.
^ Gabler 2020, pp. 383–384.
^ ^a ^b The Independent 2007.
^ Wells 2018, p. 5.
^ ^a ^b ANC.
^ Kotz 2005, p. 422.
^ Mossman & Stark 1972, pp. 335–336.
^ Secret Service.
^ The Guardian 2007.
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^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, pp. 329–331.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 49.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 50.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 51.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Meloy 2010, p. 563.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 53.
^ Ayton 2007, p. 54.
^ Socarides 1979, p. 449.
^ Socarides 1979, p. 450.
^ Sanders 2000, p. 267.
^ Kaiser 2008§3
^ ^a ^b Ayton 2007, pp. 109–110.
^ Coleman 2004, pp. 27–28.
^ Moldea 1995, p. 52n.
^ The New York Times 1989.
^ CBS 2003.
^ Dershowitz 1972.
^ ^a ^b Lovett 2011.
^ Turner 1982.
^ Ayton 2021, p. 80.
^ Clarke 1981, pp. 83, 99.
^ Time (b) 1969.
^ ABC (Australia) 2022.
^ Daily Record 2011.
^ CNN 2012.
^ Reuters 2015.
^ Holley 2016.
^ The Guardian 2021.
^ Willon 2022.
^ Newsom 2022.
^ ^a ^b BBC News 2006.
^ The Guardian 2006.
^ Aaronovitch 2009, pp. 320–324.
^ ^a ^b The Guardian 2008.
^ Noguchi 1983, pp. 102–103.
^ ^a ^b FBI 1977, p. 35.
^ O'Sullivan 2008, p. 475.
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^ Shahidullah 2008, p. 64.
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"Robert F Kennedy's assassin Sirhan Sirhan denied parole by California's governor". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. January 14, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

"CIA Role Claim in Kennedy Killing". BBC News. November 21, 2006. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

Blankstein, Andrew (March 3, 2010). "LAPD Apologizes to Robert Kennedy's Family". ISSN 0458-3035
. Retrieved April 3, 2022.

Murphy, Jarrett (March 7, 2003). "Sirhan Sirhan Kept Behind Bars". CBS News. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

Martinez, Michael; Johnson, Brad (March 13, 2012). "Attorneys for RFK convicted killer Sirhan push 'second gunman' argument". CNN. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

"Bullet Switch Proves Sirhan Sirhan Innocent of Robert F Kennedy Assassination, Claim Lawyers". ISSN 0956-8069
. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

Dershowitz, Alan M. (February 20, 1972). "The Nation". ISSN 0362-4331
. Retrieved March 26, 2022.

Esty-Kendall, Jud (June 1, 2018). "The Busboy Who Cradled A Dying RFK Recalls Those Final Moments". NPR. Retrieved June 27, 2022.

Hayes, Ashley (March 4, 2010). "After Criticism, LAPD Pulls RFK Clothing from Homicide Exhibit". CNN. Retrieved April 3, 2022.

Holley, Peter (February 10, 2016). "This Kennedy Confidant has Spent Decades Calling for the Release of RFK's Killer". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2022.

Issenberg, Sasha (June 8, 2008). "RFK's Death Now Viewed as First Case of Mideast Violence Exported to U.S." ISSN 1063-102X. Archived from the original
on June 11, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2008.

Lovett, Ian (March 2, 2011). "California: Sirhan Sirhan Denied Parole". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.

Newsom, Gavin (January 13, 2022). "Newsom: Why I will not release Sirhan Sirhan on parole". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Turner, Wallace (May 22, 1982). "Panel in California Cancels Sirhan's 1984 Parole Date". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2022.

Reynolds, Christopher (January 5, 2007). "Double Exposure of History and Art, in a Shutter's Click". ISSN 0458-3035. Archived
from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.

Segalov, Michael (October 6, 2018). "Rory Kennedy: 'In our family there was no tolerance for being a victim'". ISSN 0261-3077
. Retrieved May 5, 2022.

Stempel, Jonathan (January 6, 2015). "Sirhan Sirhan Loses Bid for Freedom Over RFK Death". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

"Did the CIA kill Bobby Kennedy?". ISSN 0261-3077
. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

Randerson, James (January 27, 2007). "Would Robert Kennedy Have Been President?". ISSN 0261-3077
. Retrieved March 15, 2022.

"New Evidence Challenges Official Picture of Kennedy Shooting". ISSN 0261-3077
. Retrieved April 2, 2022.

"Sirhan Sirhan: Six Kennedy Children Condemn Secision to Grant Killer Parole". ISSN 0261-3077
. Retrieved April 25, 2022.

"Assassination: The Night Bobby Kennedy Was Shot". ISSN 1741-9743
. Retrieved April 3, 2022.

"Transcript of Kennedy Primary Victory Speech" (PDF). ISSN 0362-4331. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2021 – via Harold Weisberg Archive
.

"Sirhan Felt Betrayed by Kennedy". ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link
)

Willon, Phil (January 13, 2022). "Gov. Gavin Newsom Rejects Parole for Sirhan Sirhan, Convicted of Killing Robert F. Kennedy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2022.

Web sources

"Robert F. Kennedy Memorial". Arlington National Cemetery. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008.

"RFK Assassination Archives".
Claire T. Carney Library. Retrieved April 3, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link
)

"Democracy Now! Special: Robert F. Kennedy's Life and Legacy 40 Years After His Assassination". Democracy Now!. June 5, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

"Robert F. Kennedy Assassination (b)". Federal Bureau of Investigation. April 5, 1977. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.

"Secret Service History". United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.

Wells, Leslie (2018). "RFK's Assassination: 'We Lost a Chance'" (PDF). Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Retrieved April 3, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

"Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Investigation Records". Secretary of State of California. Retrieved April 3, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Further reading

"Robert F. Kennedy Assassination (a)". Federal Bureau of Investigation. April 5, 1977. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.

"Robert F. Kennedy Assassination (c)". Federal Bureau of Investigation. April 5, 1977. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.

Klaber, William; Melanson, Philip (1997). Shadow Play: The Murder of Robert F. Kennedy, the Trial of Sirhan Sirhan, and the Failure of American Justice.
ISBN 978-0-312-15398-4
. Retrieved February 27, 2022.

External links

List of physical evidences at the assassination site — via the
California State Archives

Robert F. Kennedy Assassination 50th Anniversary — via C-SPAN

Public Law 90-331 — via
Govinfo.gov

Los Angeles
Law

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Assassination_of_Robert_F._Kennedy&oldid=1108046345"

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[FOOTNOTEABC_(Australia)2022-100] ABC (Australia) 2022.

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@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 At approximately 00:02&nbsp;a.m. [[Pacific time zone|PDT]]{{Sfn|O'Sullivan|2008|p=495}} the next day, Kennedy addressed his campaign supporters in the [[Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles)|Ambassador Hotel]]'s Embassy Room ballroom in the [[Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles]].{{Sfn|Thomas|2002|p=387}} The government did not provide [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] protection for presidential candidates.{{Sfn|O'Sullivan|2008|p=159}} Kennedy's only security personnel was former [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) agent William Barry and two unofficial bodyguards: Olympic [[decathlon]] gold medalist [[Rafer Johnson]]{{Sfn|Clarke|2008|pp=8, 119}} and former football player [[Rosey Grier]].{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=46}} At approximately 00:15&nbsp;a.m., concluding his victory speech, Kennedy said: "So my thanks to all of you and on to Chicago and let's win there."{{Sfn|''The New York Times''|1968}} Kennedy planned to walk through the ballroom after speaking on his way to another gathering of supporters. Reporters wanted a press conference; campaign aide [[Fred Dutton]] decided that Kennedy would forgo the second gathering and instead go through the hotel's kitchen and pantry area behind the ballroom to the press area.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=264–265}} Kennedy had welcomed contact with the public during the campaign, and people had often tried to touch him in excitement.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=113–114}} Soon after Kennedy concluded the speech, he started to exit when Barry stopped him and said, "No, it's been changed. We're going this way."{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=264–265}} Barry and Dutton began clearing a way for Kennedy to go left through swinging doors to the kitchen corridor, but he was hemmed in by the crowd and followed ''[[maître d'hôtel]]'' Karl Uecker through a back exit.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=264–265}} Uecker led Kennedy through the kitchen area, holding his right wrist, but frequently releasing it as Kennedy shook hands with people whom he encountered.{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=33}} Uecker and Kennedy started down a passageway narrowed by an ice machine and a steam table in the north.{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=33}}
-Kennedy turned to his left and shook hands with Juan Romero,{{Sfn|Melanson|1994|p=18}}{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=96}} just as [[Sirhan Sirhan]] stepped down from a low tray-stacker beside the ice-machine, rushed past Uecker, and repeatedly fired an eight-shot [[.22 Long Rifle]] caliber [[Iver Johnson#Robert Kennedy assassination|Iver Johnson Cadet 55-A revolver]]{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=266, 269}} at [[point-blank range]].{{Sfn|Hodak|2012|p=72}} Kennedy fell to the floor; Barry hit Sirhan twice in the face while others, including writer [[George Plimpton]] and Grier, forced him against the steam table and disarmed him, as he continued firing his gun in random directions. Five other people were wounded: William Weisel of [[ABC News]], Paul Schrade of the [[United Automobile Workers]] union, Democratic Party activist Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein of the Continental News Service, and Kennedy campaign volunteer Irwin Stroll.{{Sfn|''Time'' (a)|1968}} A minute later, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but others grabbed him.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=269}} Barry went to Kennedy and placed his jacket under Kennedy's head.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=269}} Reporters and photographers rushed into the area. As Kennedy lay wounded, Romero cradled his head and placed a rosary in his hand.{{Sfn|''Time''|1998}} Kennedy asked Romero, "Is everybody OK?"; Romero responded, "Yes, everybody's OK." Kennedy then turned away and said, "Everything's going to be OK."{{Sfn|''Newsweek''|1968}} The moment was captured by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' photographer [[Bill Eppridge]] and Boris Yaro of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and became the iconic image of the assassination.{{Sfn|Reynolds|2007}}
+Kennedy turned to his left and shook hands with Juan Romero,{{Sfn|Melanson|1994|p=18}}{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=96}} just as [[Sirhan Sirhan]] stepped down from a low tray-stacker beside the ice-machine, rushed past Uecker, and repeatedly fired an eight-shot [[.22 Long Rifle]] caliber [[Iver Johnson#Robert Kennedy assassination|Iver Johnson Cadet 55-A revolver]]{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=266, 269}} at [[point-blank range]].{{Sfn|Hodak|2012|p=72}} Kennedy fell to the floor; Barry hit Sirhan twice in the face while others, including writer [[George Plimpton]] and Grier, forced him against the steam table and disarmed him, as he continued firing his gun in random directions. Five other people were wounded: William Weisel of [[ABC News]], Paul Schrade of the [[United Automobile Workers]] union, Democratic Party activist Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein of the Continental News Service, and Kennedy campaign volunteer Irwin Stroll.{{Sfn|''Time'' (a)|1968}} A minute later, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but others grabbed him.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=269}} Barry went to Kennedy and placed his jacket under Kennedy's head.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=269}} Reporters and photographers rushed into the area. As Kennedy lay wounded, Romero cradled his head and placed a rosary in his hand.{{Sfn|''Time''|1998}} Kennedy asked Romero, "Is everybody OK?"; Romero responded, "Yes, everybody's OK." Kennedy then turned away and said, "Everything's going to be OK."{{Sfn|Allen|2015}} The moment was captured by ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' photographer [[Bill Eppridge]] and Boris Yaro of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and became the iconic image of the assassination.{{Sfn|Reynolds|2007}}
 === Immediate aftermath and death ===
 As the shooting took place, ABC News was signing off from its electoral broadcast, while the CBS coverage had been concluded.{{Sfn|''Time'' (c)|1968}} CBS re-began its coverage of the assassination 21 minutes after the shooting. The reporters present to report Kennedy's victory ended up crowding into the kitchen where he had been shot and the immediate aftermath was captured only by audio recording and cameras that had no live transmission capability.{{Sfn|''Time'' (a)|1968}} ABC was able to show scant live footage from the kitchen after Kennedy had been transported, but all of ABC's coverage from the hotel was in [[Black and white|black-and-white]].{{Sfn|ABC}} CBS and NBC shot footage in the kitchen of the shooting's aftermath on color film, which had not been broadcast until it was developed two hours after the incident. Los Angeles [[CBS radio]] affiliate [[KNX (AM)]] interrupted its rundown of local primary returns to provide coverage of the shooting.{{Sfn|''Time'' (c)|1968}}
-Kennedy's wife [[Ethel Kennedy|Ethel]] was three months pregnant;{{Sfn|Segalov|2018}} she stood outside the scene.{{Sfn|''Newsweek''|1968}} She was soon led to Kennedy and knelt beside him. Kennedy turned his head seeming to recognize her.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=272}} Smith promptly appeared on television and asked for a doctor.{{Sfn|Newfield|1988|pp=299–300}} After several minutes, medical attendants arrived and lifted Kennedy onto a stretcher, prompting him to whisper, "Don't lift me", which were his last words;{{Sfn|Heymann|1998|p=500}}{{Sfn|Clarke|2008|p=275}} he lost consciousness shortly after.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=273}} He was taken {{Convert|1|mi|km}} away to Central Receiving Hospital. A doctor slapped his face, calling, "Bob, Bob", while another doctor massaged his heart.{{Sfn|''Time'' (b)|1968}} After obtaining a good heartbeat, doctors handed a [[stethoscope]] to Ethel so that she could hear his heart beating.{{Sfn|''Newsweek''|1968}} After about 30&nbsp;minutes, Kennedy was transferred several blocks to the [[Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles)|Good Samaritan Hospital]] to undergo surgery. A gymnasium near the hospital was set up as temporary headquarters for the press and news media to receive updates on his condition. Surgery began at 3:12&nbsp;a.m. and lasted approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=281–282, 286}} At 5:30&nbsp;p.m. on Wednesday, spokesman [[Frank Mankiewicz]] announced that Kennedy's doctors were "concerned over his continuing failure to show improvement"; his condition remained critical to life.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=289}}
+Kennedy's wife [[Ethel Kennedy|Ethel]] was three months pregnant;{{Sfn|Segalov|2018}} she stood outside the scene.{{Sfn|''Newsweek''|1968|p=29}} She was soon led to Kennedy and knelt beside him. Kennedy turned his head seeming to recognize her.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=272}} Smith promptly appeared on television and asked for a doctor.{{Sfn|Newfield|1988|pp=299–300}} After several minutes, medical attendants arrived and lifted Kennedy onto a stretcher, prompting him to whisper, "Don't lift me", which were his last words;{{Sfn|Heymann|1998|p=500}}{{Sfn|Clarke|2008|p=275}} he lost consciousness shortly after.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=273}} He was taken {{Convert|1|mi|km}} away to Central Receiving Hospital. A doctor slapped his face, calling, "Bob, Bob", while another doctor massaged his heart.{{Sfn|''Time'' (b)|1968}} After obtaining a good heartbeat, doctors handed a [[stethoscope]] to Ethel so that she could hear his heart beating.{{Sfn|''Newsweek''|1968|p=30}} After about 30&nbsp;minutes, Kennedy was transferred several blocks to the [[Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles)|Good Samaritan Hospital]] to undergo surgery. A gymnasium near the hospital was set up as temporary headquarters for the press and news media to receive updates on his condition. Surgery began at 3:12&nbsp;a.m. and lasted approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|pp=281–282, 286}} At 5:30&nbsp;p.m. on Wednesday, spokesman [[Frank Mankiewicz]] announced that Kennedy's doctors were "concerned over his continuing failure to show improvement"; his condition remained critical to life.{{Sfn|Witcover|1988|p=289}}
 Kennedy was shot three times. One bullet was fired at a range of {{convert|1|in|cm|0}} that entered behind his right ear, dispersing fragments throughout his brain.{{Sfn|''Time'' (a)|1969}} The other two entered at the rear of his right armpit; one exited from his chest and the other lodged in the back of his neck.{{Sfn|Moldea|1995|p=85}} Despite extensive [[neurosurgery]] to remove the bullet and bone fragments from his brain, he was pronounced dead at 1:44&nbsp;a.m. on June&nbsp;6, nearly 26&nbsp;hours after the shooting.{{Sfn|''Time'' (b)|1968}} Mankiewicz left the hospital and walked to the gymnasium where the press and news media were set up for continuous updates on the situation. At 2&nbsp;a.m. on June&nbsp;6, Mankiewicz announced Kennedy's death.{{Sfn|Gabler|2020|pp=383–384}} The following week, NBC devoted 55&nbsp;hours to the shooting and aftermath, ABC&nbsp;43 hours, and CBS&nbsp;42 hours, with all three networks initially pre-empting their regular coverage and advertisements to cover the story.{{Sfn|''Time'' (c)|1968}}