The presidential motorcade began its route without incident, stopping twice so President Kennedy could shake hands with some Catholic nuns, then some school children. Shortly before the limousine turned onto Main Street a male ran towards the limousine, but was thrust to the ground by a Secret Service agent and hustled away.
At 12:29 p.m. CST, the presidential limousine entered Dealey Plaza after a 90-degree right turn from Main Street onto Houston Street. Over two dozen known and unknown amateur and professional still and motion-picture photographers captured the last living images of President Kennedy.
Just before 12:30 p.m. CST, President Kennedy slowly approached the Texas School Book Depository head-on on Houston Street, then the limousine made the 120-degree left turn directly in front of the depository, now only 65 feet (20 meters) away.
According to witnesses, the shooting began shortly after the limousine made the turn from Houston onto Elm Street. It is not known with certainty when each shot was fired, but most experts agree that the President had been hit no later than the point at which he can be seen in the Zapruder film, first emerging from behind the Stemmons Highway sign. Several seconds later, he suffered a massive and fatal head wound and after being rushed to Parkland Hospital, was officially pronounced dead at 1:00 p.m. CST.
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