On November 22, 1963, the world stood still as news broke of the JFK assassination. President John F. Kennedy, the charismatic leader of the United States, was shot while riding in an open motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Within hours, he was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital, leaving a nation in shock and sparking a question that has lingered for decades: who killed JFK? Even 60 years later, the JFK assassination remains one of the most debated and investigated events in American history, with conflicting theories and incomplete information fueling ongoing curiosity.
The Day That Shook America
The JFK assassination unfolded in broad daylight, in front of thousands of onlookers. Kennedy, accompanied by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and others, was traveling through downtown Dallas when shots rang out at approximately 12:30 PM CST. Witnesses reported seeing a rifle barrel from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, a building overlooking the motorcade route. Kennedy was struck in the neck and head, while Connally suffered injuries to his back, chest, wrist, and thigh.
Emergency personnel rushed Kennedy to Parkland Memorial Hospital, but he was declared dead at 1:00 PM. In the chaos that followed, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine, later that day. Oswald was charged with the assassination of Kennedy and the murder of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, who had been shot while investigating a suspect matching Oswald’s description. Two days later, as Oswald was being transferred from the Dallas Police Department to the county jail, he was fatally shot by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner—an act captured live on national television.
The Official Narrative: Lee Harvey Oswald Acting Alone
In 1964, the Warren Commission, a presidential commission led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, released its report on the JFK assassination. The commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in killing Kennedy, firing three shots from the Texas School Book Depository. The report stated that one shot missed, one struck both Kennedy and Connally (the “single bullet theory”), and the third shot hit Kennedy in the head, causing his death. The commission also found no evidence of a conspiracy, either domestic or foreign.
Oswald’s background added layers to the official story. He had defected to the Soviet Union in 1959, living there for nearly three years before returning to the U.S. in 1962. He was known to have leftist political views and had attempted to assassinate General Edwin Walker, a right-wing figure, earlier in 1963. The rifle used in the JFK assassination—a Mannlicher-Carcano—was traced to Oswald, who had purchased it under an alias.
Who Killed JFK? Alternative Theories That Persist
Despite the Warren Commission’s findings, public skepticism has persisted, leading to numerous alternative theories about who killed JFK. These theories range from domestic conspiracies involving government agencies to foreign plots linked to Cold War rivals.
CIA Conspiracy Theory
One of the most widely discussed theories is that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the JFK assassination. Critics argue that Kennedy’s handling of the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) and his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam (1963) angered CIA officials. Some claim that the agency orchestrated the assassination to remove a president they saw as weak on communism.
Mafia Connection
Another popular theory links the JFK assassination to organized crime. The Mafia had ties to Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy, and some believe that the mob retaliated against JFK and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, for their aggressive crackdown on organized crime in the early 1960s. Jack Ruby, who killed Oswald, had known connections to the Mafia, which adds fuel to this theory.
Cuban Government Involvement
During the Cold War, the U.S. and Cuba were bitter enemies. Some theorists suggest that Fidel Castro’s government ordered the JFK assassination in response to CIA-backed attempts to kill Castro (such as Operation Mongoose). Oswald had visited the Cuban embassy in Mexico City shortly before the assassination, leading some to believe he was acting as a Cuban agent.
Multiple Shooters Theory
Many witnesses reported hearing shots from multiple directions during the JFK assassination, not just from the Texas School Book Depository. The Zapruder film, a home movie shot by Abraham Zapruder that captured the assassination, shows Kennedy’s head moving backward after the fatal shot—suggesting that the bullet came from the front (the grassy knoll area) rather than the rear. This has led to the theory that there were multiple shooters involved in a coordinated attack.
Why the JFK Assassination Mystery Endures
Decades after the event, the JFK assassination remains a topic of intense debate for several reasons. First, the Warren Commission’s report was criticized for its reliance on the single bullet theory, which many experts have deemed implausible. Second, thousands of documents related to the assassination were sealed for decades, with some still redacted even after the 2017 deadline set by the JFK Records Act. Third, the quick death of Oswald (at the hands of Ruby) meant that he never had a chance to stand trial or provide a full account of his actions.
The question of who killed JFK continues to captivate the public because it touches on fundamental issues of trust in government, transparency, and the nature of power. For many, the official story fails to explain all the inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding the assassination.
Conclusion
The JFK assassination is more than just a historical event—it is a cultural touchstone that has shaped how Americans view their government and their history. While the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, the persistence of alternative theories suggests that the public is not fully convinced. Decades later, people still ask: who killed JFK? Until all documents are released and all questions are answered, the mystery of the JFK assassination will likely continue to intrigue and divide generations to come. ```