Narrative Script

INTRO MUSIC (breaking news)

DAVE: Good evening, I am David Mockus and today is November 23.  We are going to start with continuing coverage coming from Dallas, Texas in Dealey Plaza.  We have the full story of the assassination of President Kennedy from the beginning of the motorcade, the fatal shot, and the aftermath. 

SOUND AFFECT

Yesterday, November 22 the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy was shot at approximately 12:30 P.M in Dealey Plaza while riding in his motorcade.  He was fatally wounded by two shots that came from an unknown area. 

As Kennedy was waving to the crowd on the right side of street a shot was fired.  It is believed that he was shot in the back of the neck and the bullet exited through his throat.   

The second shot took place a few seconds later, in front of the John Bryan Statue.  When the bullet hit the president in the head it created a hole the size of a fist.  Mrs. Kennedy climbed into the back of the limo trying to help her husband who was dieing.  When she got into the back of the car, there was blood and brain tissue all over. 

A secret service agent who was riding next to the vehicle saw what happened and jumped into the back of the car.  He used his body as a shield to help shield the helpless president.  The car sped out of Dealey Plaza and to Parkview Hospital.

Governor Connally was also shot and severely wounded but survived.   Doctors credit his wife for saving life.  She pulled him down in a laying position which helped close his wound.

When Kennedy arrived at Parkview Hospital, he was put into trauma room one.  Dr. Burkley said that he had no chance of survival.  A priest at the hospital gave President Kennedy last rights after all heart activity stopped.  After this Dr. Burkley pronounced him dead at 1:00 PM and signed his death certificate. 

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was riding two cars behind President Kennedy and not shot at.  Witnesses say that when the president’s limo came down Elm Street, they heard a few bangs.

While I was at the scene yesterday I interviewed Dan who was a witness:

DAVE: So Dan, what did you see or hear today?

DAN: While standing on Elm Street, I saw the president’s limo in front of me and heard a loud popping sound.  I though it might have been fireworks going off.  Seconds later I heard another bang.  After that I knew something was.  By then I saw secret service agents running towards the car.  I remember one of the guys jumping on the back of the car and onto the president.        

DAVE:  How close to the limo were you?

DAN:  I was no further then twenty feet away.

DAVE:  Did you hear anyone screaming or any odd sounds before the shots?

DAN:  After the bangs I remember someone screaming oh nooooo.

DAVE: What was the reaction of everybody. 

DAN: Well at first people didn’t know what happened but after they saw agents running to the limo, people started to fear that they were getting shot at, so they started running.   

DAVE:  Anything else

DAN: No, that’s it.

DAVE:   Thank you

Two hours later police arrested a former marine, Lee Harvey Oswald, for killing J.D. Tippt, a police officer in Oak Cliff County.  Authorities charged Oswald with the murder of the police officer.  They later linked Oswald to the assassination and charged him with that too.  Oswald denied all allegations of murdering both Kennedy and Tippit.  While being extradited to Dallas Texas police headquarters, Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby, a night club owner.

The rifle that was used by the former marine was a Carcano bolt action rifle.  It was found in The Texas Book Depository Building on the sixth floor.  The rifle was obtained by using a false name and sent to a mailbox he rented in Dallas at a post office.  The rifle was linked to him two different ways.  There was a partial palm print on the barrel of the rifle and the bullet fragments that were taken from Kennedy and Connally match the ballistic test.

Around 2:00 P.M Kennedys body was put into a casket and escorted to the airport.  His casket was flown back to Washington on Air Force One for one last time along with Lyndon B. Johnson, and Mrs. Kennedy.  When the casket was loaded onto Air Force One, they had to take out two rows of seats to fit the casket into the passenger section of the plane.  While the plane was in the air Johnson took oath aboard Air Force One and became the president at 2:38 P.M.  Kennedy’s body under went an autopsy late at night on November 22.  The results of the autopsy say that the fatal shot was the second one that struck Kennedy in the side of the head.

There will be a public viewing for 24 hours in the capital of the flag draped coffin.  The funeral will take place on November 25 and his horse drawn carriage will take the casket to Arlington National Cemetery where he will be buried.  So far there will be 90 leaders from different countries attending the funeral. 

SOUND AFFECT

The past few days have been very tragic and upsetting. May God bless President Kennedy, and his family,

OUTRO MUSIC (news station goodbye)

                                                                         Work Cited
The JFK Assassination. 1999. Mary Ferrel Foundation. http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/JFK_Assassination.

The Kennedy Assassination. 1995. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm.