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Single-Bullet Theory

The Warren Commission explanation for wounds to Kennedy and Connally. This page combines historical context with 26 matching records drawn directly from the Kennedy Assassination History archive.

26 matching archive records 1963–2003 record span Open the full 1,932-record archive

Historical context

Single-Bullet Theory: overview and significance

What happened?

The single-bullet explanation holds that one bullet passed through President Kennedy and then struck Governor John Connally, causing several wounds. The timing available from the assassination films made the trajectory important to the Commission's reconstruction.

Why was it important?

The theory became one of the most debated parts of the Warren Commission's findings. Ballistics, seating positions, wound paths and the condition of Commission Exhibit 399 have all been scrutinized by supporters and critics.

Archive records

Single-Bullet Theory timeline

The records below are selected from the 1,932-record JFK assassination archive and are rendered as static HTML in chronological order.

1963
1963

Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The Magic Bullet theory is contributed to the Warren Commission by Arlen Specter posits that a single bullet, "Warren Commission Exhibit 399", caused all of the non-fatal wounds in both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally

1963

Exhibit 399

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Posits that a single bullet, known as "Warren Commission Exhibit 399" (also known as "CE399"), caused all of the non-fatal wounds in both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally

1963

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The bullet traversed 15 layers of clothing, 7 layers of skin, and approximately 15 inches of tissue, struck a necktie knot, removed 4 inches of rib, and shattered a radius bone.

1963

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Posits that a single bullet, known as "Warren Commission Exhibit 399" (also known as "CE399"), caused all of the non-fatal wounds in both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally. A one-inch-long copper-jacketed lead-core 6.5-millimeter rifle bullet fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository passed through Kennedys neck and Connallys chest wrist and embedded itself in the Governors thigh..

1963

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The Magic Bullet theory is contributed to the Warren Commission by Arlen Specter posits that a single bullet, "Warren Commission Exhibit 399", caused all of the non-fatal wounds in both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally.

1963

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The bullet that is supposed to have done all the damage was found on a stretcher in the corridor at the Parkland Memorial Hospital, in Dallas, after the assassination.

1963

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The bullet that is supposed to have done all this damage was found on a stretcher in the corridor at the Parkland Memorial Hospital, in Dallas, after the assassination.

1964
1964

Connally Stretcher Testimony

R. J. Jimison · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Orderly, Parkland Hospital

Testified to the Warren Commission concerning Governor Connally's stretcher and was identified as a Parkland Hospital orderly.

1964

Connally Stretcher Testimony

Henrietta M. Ross · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Technician, Parkland Hospital

Testified to the Warren Commission concerning Governor Connally's stretcher and was identified as a Parkland Hospital technician.

1964

Connally Stretcher Testimony

Ruth Jeanette Standridge · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Head Nurse, Parkland Hospital

Testified to the Warren Commission concerning Governor Connally's stretcher and was identified as head nurse of Parkland Hospital operating rooms.

1964

Connally Stretcher Testimony

Darrell C. Tomlinson · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Senior Engineer, Parkland Hospital

Testified to the Warren Commission concerning Governor Connally's stretcher and was identified as Parkland Hospital's senior engineer.

1964

Connally Stretcher Testimony

Jane Carolyn Wester · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Nurse, Parkland Hospital

Testified to the Warren Commission concerning Governor Connally's stretcher and was identified as a Parkland Hospital nurse.

1964

Magic Bullet

Earl Warren · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

In its conclusion, the Warren Commission found "persuasive evidence from the experts" that a single bullet caused the President's neck wound and all the wounds in Governor Connally

1964

Single-Bullet Analysis

John Bowden Connally Jr · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Governor

His wounds become central to the Warren Commission's reconstruction of the shooting sequence.

1964

Single-Bullet Analysis

Arlen Specter · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Counsel

As assistant counsel, helps develop the single-bullet analysis used in the Warren Commission's explanation of the non-fatal wounds to Kennedy and Connally.

1964

Warren Commission

Earl Warren · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Chief Justice · Chief Justice

In its conclusion, the Warren Commission found "persuasive evidence from the experts" that a single bullet caused the President's neck wound and all the wounds in Governor Connally

1976
1976

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

A one-inch-long copper-jacketed lead-core 6.5-millimeter rifle bullet fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository passed through Kennedys neck and Connallys chest wrist and embedded itself in the Governors thigh..

1978
1978

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The 1978 House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations agreed with the Single-Bullet Theory but differed on the time frame..

1978

Single Bullet Theory

House Select Committee · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Congressional Committee

House Select Committee reviews the single bullet theory and timing evidence.

1979
1979

House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The HSCA agreed with the single bullet theory, but concluded that it occurred at a time point during the assassination that differed from any of the several time points the Warren Commission theorized it occurred..

1979

House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)

Louis Stokes · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The HSCA agreed with the single bullet theory, but concluded that it occurred at a time point during the assassination that differed from any of the several time points the Warren Commission theorized it occurred..

1979

House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)

Louis Stokes · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The HSCA agreed with the single bullet theory, but concluded that it occurred at a time point during the assassination that differed from any of the several time points the Warren Commission theorized it occurred...

1979

Magic Bullet

Arlen Specter · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The HSCA agreed with the single bullet theory, but concluded that it occurred at a time point during the assassination that differed from any of the several time points the Warren Commission theorized it occurred..

1979

Magic Bullet

Louis Stokes · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The HSCA agreed with the single bullet theory, but concluded that it occurred at a time point during the assassination that differed from any of the several time points the Warren Commission theorized it occurred..

1993
1993

Magic Bullet

Dale Myers · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

A 1993 a computer animator named Dale Myers embarks on a 10-year project to completely render the events of November 22 1963 in 3D computer animation..

2003
2003

Magic Bullet

Dale Myers · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Myers uses a close-up examination of the Zapruder film to justify the "single bullet theory". Myers animation finds that the bullet wounds were consistent with JFKs and Connallys positions at the time of shooting, and that by following the bullets trajectory backwards could be found to have originated from the Texas School Book Depository..

Editorial provenance

Sources and editorial review

Compiled and edited by Kennedy Assassination History.

Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from the site's structured JFK assassination records.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

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