Today in History—November 24: Part II of II: The Murder of Kennedy’s Murderer

On November 24, 1963, in a stunning act of violence captured on live television, Americans witnessed the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Just two days earlier, Oswald allegedly assassinated Pres. John F. Kennedy. [In case you missed it, catch up on Part I, the shooting that started it all.]

Oswald met his demise in the parking garage beneath the Dallas police headquarters. He was being escorted to a transfer vehicle that would take him to the county jail, and he was surrounded by reporters and television cameras waiting to capture his departure.

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But at approximately 11:21 am, as Oswald was led toward a waiting vehicle, a man stepped out of the crowd and fired a revolver point-blank into Oswald’s abdomen.

The gunman was Jack Ruby, the owner of a local nightclub. He was quickly taken into custody by police. Meanwhile, Oswald was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital—the same facility where doctors had pronounced Kennedy dead two days earlier.

Oswald’s death was declared at 1:07 pm. His murder is considered the first shooting to have occurred live on national television. It instantly brought real-life violence directly into American homes—and ensured that Oswald would not stand trial for assassinating Kennedy.

The Warren Commission, appointed by Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29 to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s assassination, concluded that Ruby’s motive for the shooting stemmed from grief and anger over the loss of Kennedy and from a desire to spare Jacqueline Kennedy from having to testify at trial.

Ruby’s actions, however, ignited conspiracy theories, which have persisted. Of particular controversy are how Ruby gained access to the garage, which supposedly was secured by police, as well as whether he acted independently.

Ruby was convicted of murder in 1964 and sentenced to death. Two years later, however, his conviction was overturned by appeal, in part because the trial judge had improperly admitted testimony about a confession ruled inadmissible under Texas law.

The following year, before a new trial could get underway, Ruby succumbed to cancer.