In June 1968, the Democratic Party Presidential Primary was heating up.
With only two months until the Democratic National Convention, NY Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (brother of John F. Kennedy) was rising in the polls. He’d just secured victories in both Indiana and Nebraska.
His next stop was California. There he delivered speeches in four major cities the day before the state’s primary. He won that too.
After receiving news, Kennedy announced he would give a late-night speech from his campaign headquarters at Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel.
His goal was to discuss plans for healing the numerous social divides in 1960s America. Of course, he also wanted to convince Democrats around the country to support him.
But RFK would not leave California alive.
The Assassination
Following his speech, Sen. Kennedy was escorted through the hotel kitchen on his way to the press pool for a short press conference.
As he shook the hands of kitchen staff, 24-year-old Sirhan Bishara Sirhan emerged from around a corner and fired his .22 LR Iver Johnson Cadet 55-A revolver.
The first round fired an inch from the senator’s head, entering behind his right ear. As Sirhan was wrestled to the floor he cried out, “I can explain! I did this for my country!”
Sirhan fired all eight rounds in the ensuing struggle.
He struck Kennedy twice more and wounded five others. 17-year-old busboy Juan Romero comforted the senator who lay bleeding on the floor, handing him a rosary.
Kennedy was pronounced dead the following day, June 6, 1968.
Who Was Sirhan Bishara Sirhan
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was born to a Palestinian Christian family in Jerusalem in 1944. The family was displaced by the Arab-Israeli conflict.
During the conflict, Sirhan witnessed the death of his older brother who was struck by an Israeli military vehicle.
The family later immigrated to the United States in 1956 and settled in Pasadena, California.
There Sirhan attended local schools, went to college, and worked odd jobs, becoming quite interested in religion. He joined several different Christian denominations but finally settled on the esoteric Rosicrucian Order in 1966.
The stories surrounding Sirhan’s motives and actions are truly bizarre.
He claims no memory of shooting Kennedy or harboring any ill-will towards him. On the other hand, he also cites the senator’s comments that the United States should continue to arm Israel.
A notebook recovered from Sirhan’s apartment revealed a collection of mystically inspired ramblings. These included statements of his intention to kill RFK and statements in support of a communist revolution.
To this day, Sirhan stands by his claim that he has no memory of plotting or carrying out the assassination. However, he claims responsibility for the assassination, noting he was drunk at the time of the crime.
Ultimately, a court found Sirhan guilty and sentenced him to death. However, in 1972, his sentence was commuted to life in prison.
His request for a parole hearing was granted in August 2021, but he was ultimately denied parole.
This is a new style of article for Pew Pew Tactical; if you liked it — let us know in the comments! If you didn’t enjoy it…well phooey. To catch up on previous Pictures from History, click on over to our History Category.
4 Leave a Reply
According to Coroner Thomas Noguchi, the fatal head shots were fired point blank from behind, where last-minute substitute security guard Thane Eugene Cesar had the only other gun in the pantry. RFK Jr. has identified Cesar as his father's killer, and recently petitioned the Parole Board to release Sirhan. Cesar died some time ago.
And just 2 months before that , April 4 , MLK was killed in Memphis . I was nine years old and remember both like they were yesterday . Those were crazy times .
Good read ! Keep'em comin'
An interesting time. I was a high school freshman in '68. Three cousins and the guy who would later become my brother in law were in Vietnam. And for those that say that a .22 is ineffective, I'd say that Robert Kennedy would disagree.