Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Target	Robert F. Kennedy
Date	05 June 1968
Time	12:15 a.m. PDT
Location	Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Fatalities	1 (Robert F. Kennedy)
Perpetrator	Sirhan Sirhan
Weapon	.22 caliber Iver Johnson Cadet revolver

Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator from New York and former United States Attorney General, occurred in the early morning of June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He was shot moments after delivering a victory speech in the California Democratic primary for the 1968 presidential election. The gunman, Sirhan Sirhan, was subdued at the scene, and Kennedy died from his wounds nearly 26 hours later at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Background

The political climate in the United States during 1968 was one of profound turmoil, marked by intense opposition to the Vietnam War and deep social divisions. Robert F. Kennedy, brother of the slain President John F. Kennedy, had entered the Democratic Party presidential race in March, positioning himself as a champion for civil rights and an end to the conflict in Southeast Asia. His campaign galvanized many, particularly the young and marginalized communities, but also drew hostility from those opposed to his policies. The primary season had already been shadowed by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April, which had sparked riots across Washington and other major cities.

The assassination

On the evening of June 4, 1968, Kennedy addressed a crowd of supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Ballroom, celebrating his win in the California Democratic primary. Shortly after midnight, he left the podium and was led through the hotel's pantry service corridor en route to a press conference. There, Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Jordanian Palestinian, stepped forward with a .22 caliber Iver Johnson Cadet revolver and fired multiple shots at close range. Kennedy was hit three times, including a fatal wound to the head. Five other people were wounded, including Paul Schrade of the United Auto Workers. The attack was captured in part by journalists like Boris Yaro of the Los Angeles Times and audio recorded by Stanley Tretick.

Aftermath and public reaction

The mortally wounded senator was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital, where a team of neurosurgeons, including Dr. Henry Cuneo, performed emergency surgery. He was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. on June 6. News of the shooting and his subsequent death plunged the nation into another wave of grief and shock, coming just two months after the killing of Martin Luther King Jr.. His body was transported by train from New York City to Washington, D.C., with thousands of mourners lining the tracks, and he was laid to rest near his brother at Arlington National Cemetery following a funeral mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Investigation and legal proceedings

The Los Angeles Police Department quickly took Sirhan Sirhan into custody. The investigation, led by LAPD Chief Thomas Reddin, concluded that Sirhan acted alone, motivated by Kennedy's support for Israel during the Six-Day War. In 1969, Sirhan was tried in Los Angeles County Superior Court before Judge Herbert V. Walker. The defense, led by attorney Grant B. Cooper, argued diminished capacity, but Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1972 after the California Supreme Court temporarily abolished the death penalty.

Conspiracy theories

Despite official conclusions, the case has been persistently dogged by conspiracy theories. Critics, including former LAPD sergeant Paul Schrade and researchers like Robert Joling and Philip Van Praag, have questioned the official ballistics, the number of shots fired, and the possibility of a second gunman. These doubts were amplified by discrepancies noted in the FBI files and the autopsy report. Official reinvestigations, including one by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office in the 1970s, have upheld the lone-gunman finding, but skepticism persists in works like those by journalist William Klaber.

Legacy and memorials

The assassination effectively ended the New Frontier political movement and altered the course of the 1968 election, which was ultimately won by Republican Richard Nixon. Kennedy is memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery and by the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C.. The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization continues his advocacy work. The site of the Ambassador Hotel now houses the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, a complex named in his honor.

Category:1968 murders in the United States Category:Assassinated American politicians Category:June 1968 events in the United States