The Assassination of Robert Kennedy

The Number of Bullets
As with John F. Kennedy five years earlier controversy surrounds the number of bullets fired and the gun or guns they were fired from. While nobody seriously disputes the fact that Sirhan shot at Robert Kennedy with the intention of killing him, many dispute whether he fired the fatal shot or any of the shots that hit Kennedy, and evidence suggesting he not only didn't but he couldn't has never been properly reviewed or contested in a court of law. This is worrying!

Sirhan's gun, a .22 caliber eight-shot Iver-Johnson revolver fired all eight shots during the shooting spree. He didn't reload. Yet according to many researchers including Lisa Pease the numerous injuries caused along with the evidence of bullets impacting ceiling tiles and a door frame can only be accounted for by a minimum of ten bullets. These facts present very persuasive evidence of a second gunman. Where are the experts in ballistics and firearms that could resolve this dilemma? Why are they so quiet on this subject? Surely they can make an informed judgement based on all available evidence and once and for all put this issue to bed.

Of the eight bullets Sirhan allegedly fired, all were accounted for except for one which was lost in the ceiling space. Yet there is evidence that a wooden door frame contained an extra two bullets. This door frame was removed by the LAPD, inspected, x-rayed and eventually destroyed. The x-rays were also destroyed. No evidence of bullets or bullet holes were found according to the LAPD.

So is there a viable scenario to account for all injuries and bullet holes from Sirhan's 8 shot revolver?

This is hotly debated, for instance between John Hunt, Mel Ayton and Dan Moldea

Neither side seems conclusive, it seems it's impossible to conclude anything because of the lack of evidence (thanks to the LAPD). Either side of the debate can at best speculate about the total number of shots fired at the crime scene based on the number of wounds and damage. But there is certainly an uneasy level of doubt regarding the official version of the number of bullets.

See here for the official version of events, courtesy of the Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC).

The following is a summary of the wounds and damage inflicted on that ill-fated night (note: wounds/bullets not necessarily in correct sequence).

Wound 1: RFK fatal shot in back of head, no exit (Recovered 1)

Wound 2: RFK shot in the right rear armpit, no exit (Recovered 2)

Wound 3: RFK shot in the right rear armpit, exit through right front chest

'Wound' 4: RFK jacket shot, made entry and exit thru rear right shoulder of jacket without striking RFK

Wound 5: Paul Schrade shot in forehead, partial exit (Recovered 3)

Wound 6: Ira Goldstein shot in left thigh, no exit (Recovered 4)

'Wound' 7: Ira Goldstein shot, entry and exit in left pants leg without striking him

Wound 8: Irwin Stroll shot in left shin, no exit (Recovered 5)

Wound 9: Elizabeth Evans shot in forehead, no exit (Recovered 6)

Wound 10: William Weisel shot in left abdomen, no exit (Recovered 7)

Damage 1: Ceiling Tile hole one, bullet penetrated a ceiling tile

Damage 2: Ceiling tile hole two, bullet ricocheted off concrete above tiles and re-entered the pantry

Damage 3: Ceiling tile hole three, bullet penetrated a ceiling tile, apparently remained in ceiling, (not recovered).

Damage 4: Door frame hole 1, bullet lodged in pantry door frame (not recovered)

Damage 5: Door frame hole 2, second bullet lodged in pantry door frame (not recovered)

Recovered = 7, by recovered I mean both recovered in surgery or partial recovery, i.e. bullet fragmented in body but accounted for. Not recovered = 3

Of course this makes it 10 bullets from Sirhan's 8-shot gun! However 3 bullets were never recovered and two in particular (the door frame bullets) are disputed as to whether they ever existed (more on this later).

Can 8 bullets from Sirhan's gun account for above wounds/damage? Yes, I think, based on scenario below. I've added the bullet count and removed the disputed door frame bullets.

Wound 1: RFK fatal shot in back of head, no exit (Bullet 1)

Wound 2: RFK shot in the right rear armpit, no exit (Bullet 2)

Wound 3: RFK shot in the right rear armpit, exit through right front chest (Bullet 3)

Wound 4: RFK jacket shot, made entry and exit thru rear right shoulder of jacket only without striking him (Bullet 4)

Wound 5: Paul Schrade shot in forehead, partial exit (Bullet 4)

Wound 6: Ira Goldstein shot in left thigh, no exit (Bullet 5)

Wound 7: Ira Goldstein shot, entry and exit in left pant leg without striking him (Bullet 6)

Wound 8: Irwin Stroll shot in left shin, no exit (Bullet 6)

Wound 9: Elizabeth Evans shot in forehead, no exit (Bullet 7)

Wound 10: William Weisel shot in left abdomen, no exit (Bullet 8)

Damage 1: Ceiling Tile hole one, bullet penetrated a ceiling tile (Bullet 7)

Damage 2: Ceiling tile hole two, bullet ricocheted off concrete above tiles and re-entered the pantry (Bullet 7)

Damage 3: Ceiling tile hole three, bullet penetrated a ceiling tile, apparently remained in ceiling, (Bullet 3)

Important assumptions made here that are critical to the theory that no more than 8 shots were fired are ;

a) that wound 4 and wound 5 are made by the same bullet

b) that wound 9 and damage 1 & damage 2 are made by the same bullet

But these assumptions and the above scenario seem okay to me, and don't require any more than 8 bullets.

The Pantry Doorframe

So was there a second gunman one wonders?