Exact Time of Day President Kennedy Was Shot
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy occurred at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. The Warren Commission and the Assassination Records Review Board have consistently cited this time across official documents and declassified files. The shooting took place in Dealey Plaza during a presidential motorcade, with the first shot striking the President as his limousine passed the Texas School Book Depository. The event was captured on film, audio recordings, and multiple eyewitness accounts, making the timeline one of the most scrutinized moments in modern history. The exact time has been cross-referenced with radio transmissions, Secret Service logs, and hospital admission records to confirm the sequence of events. For more details on the timeline, see the official records compiled by the National Archives at https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk.
Sequence of Events in the Presidential Motorcade
The motorcade route through downtown Dallas was planned to pass several key landmarks, including the Dallas Trade Mart, with the President riding in an open-top Lincoln Continental. At approximately 12:30 p.m., as the vehicle turned onto Elm Street, the first shot was fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The Warren Commission report and subsequent investigations identified the shooter as Lee Harvey Oswald, who was positioned with a bolt-action rifle. The timeline of the motorcade shows the limousine slowing near the Depository before the fatal shots were fired, with Secret Service agents in the follow-up car reacting within seconds. The sequence of events has been reconstructed using Zapruder film frames, radio logs, and testimony from agents present that day. Additional analysis of the motorcade route and timing is available through the Sixth Floor Museum at https://www.jfklibrary.org.
Official Investigations and Public Records
The Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson, concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President Kennedy. The Commission's final report, released in 1964, detailed the timeline, ballistic evidence, and witness testimonies that placed the shooting at 12:30 p.m. CST. Later investigations, including the House Select Committee on Assassinations and the Assassination Records Review Board, have reviewed additional documents and audio recordings to refine the timeline. The National Archives continues to release declassified records related to the assassination, with the most recent batch of documents made available under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. The latest public data from these agencies confirms the time and sequence of the shooting without significant revision. For access to the full collection of declassified records, visit the National Archives JFK Collection at https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk.