Why do you think Ruby didnt go for a headshot?

What do you think?

If he was so angry with Oswald I would think that he would want to make sure he got the job done in one swift shot instead of going for a gut shot. Dont get me wrong shooting the guy is shooting the guy but I believe Oswald could have certainly survived from such a wound.

I dont know what the conspiracy could be other then just pure speculation on what you think Ruby might have been thinking. I dont think this has been brought up on a large scale before I search around some and didnt find much. So excuse me if this has been posted.

Maybe the intent wasnt to necessarily kill Oswald but send a point? And if he got killed no big deal either?

reply to post by racerzeke


Gut shots are more painful, slower to die from, and he would not have to raise his hand too far above his waist, risking the chance of someone deflecting the bullet.

He would have missed Ken Lay's vest?

Oh wait this is the wrong thread for that

1. Because that would be one more head shot to mess with during the `investigation'?
2. Easier to conceal a gun at waist level
3. He DID shoot Oswald in the head. Ford moved the wound a bit.
4. He did it to impress Jodie Foster

Originally posted by leftystrat
1. Because that would be one more head shot to mess with during the `investigation'?
2. Easier to conceal a gun at waist level
3. He DID shoot Oswald in the head. Ford moved the wound a bit.
4. He did it to impress Jodie Foster

I'll have a number two, supersized, please.

Good thread, great question.

The only thing I could think of is........

It was on T.V. ?

Everyone new it would be on tv, and at what time, it was the only chance he would have to shoot. Everyone in america was watching to find out what he looked like in person.

Think about it, they probably told him, don't shoot him in the head on tv. We can't have that.

That is a funny thought though? The people who have the president of the free world assasinated, then say, don't shoot him in the head on tv it's too messy. Ethics? huh?

anyway I'm going to keep reading, this will be interesting.

That is an excellent observation.

I would imagine the bullet was laced with cyanide or other poison to insure it did its job.

Originally posted by MrWizard
That is an excellent observation.

I would imagine the bullet was laced with cyanide or other poison to insure it did its job.

A bullet could contain the required 200-300 mg of cyanide? Must be another poison, such as that plumbous stuff that comes out of a gas-powered projectile launcher.

He was a little weasel.

He wanted Oswald to suffer.

Plus he knew the cameras were there.

He may have missed and shot an innocent man.

Oswald was not pronounced dead for an hour and 46 minutes so it probably wasn't cyanide. Cause of death was listed as the severing of major abdominal blood vessels by the bullet. Probably used a wadcutter. It does seem odd that Ruby didn't fire several rounds.

The first reply has it right. People in the Mafia do the gut shot if the hate you and want you to suffer. They do a head shot if they respect. Then it's once in the heart once in the head if it's a job that has to be "done right".

I was wondering this because on Discovery today I saw a show I had never seen before. They were recreating the transfer of Oswald from the jail to the police car. And they loosely stated that had the officer who Oswald was handcuffed to not jerked at the last minute he may have survived.

I guess they were referencing the point of entry I dont know how they could come up with that, but anyway I was thinking why didnt he just mash the trigger or even go for the headshot?

I was reading up on the gun I guess it is pretty powerful I dont know much about it, but it is weird that he fired a single shot in the stomach rather than higher up I think?

Just trying to go by what I remember seeing of the footage.

It looked like there were swarms of people all around them at the time of the shooting. An accurate head shot is not as easy as it may seem.

Ruby had a fraction of a second to pull out the gun and shoot. Even a trained gun owner would have difficulty drawing, aiming, and firing in the head with so many law enforcement agents and media around. Sheer adrenaline.

He probably simply grabbed and shot. And in that situation, he went for the broadest part of the body instead of a tricky head shot.

People who are inexperienced and untrained in shooting invariably go for a shot to the torso. It's a much bigger target so there's less fear of missing.


M

How about, it didn't really matter where Ruby shot him. Oswald just needed to take a bullet on live television, so he could be rushed off to "hospital", and terminated without having to explain anything to a suspicious public, because they had all seen him shot.