It’s been over sixty years, and honestly, the world still isn't over it. We’ve all seen the grainy Zapruder film—the motorcade, the waving, and then that horrific moment in Dealey Plaza. But if you strip away the Oliver Stone movies and the late-night YouTube rabbit holes, what does the actual clinical record say? When we talk about the john f kennedy cause of death, we are looking at a very specific set of medical realities that often get buried under the weight of political intrigue.
Basically, the official cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. That sounds simple, but the mechanics of it were anything but.
The Medical Reality of November 22
The President didn't die instantly, though it was close. After the shots rang out at 12:30 p.m., the limousine raced to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Doctors there, including Dr. Malcolm Perry and Dr. Kemp Clark, saw a man who was technically still breathing but had no chance of survival. They performed a tracheotomy—ironically through a bullet wound in his throat—trying to find an airway.
They failed. JFK was pronounced dead at 1:00 p.m.
The autopsy performed later that night at Bethesda Naval Hospital confirmed the specifics. The fatal blow was a massive head wound that shattered the right side of his skull. According to the official report, a 6.5mm bullet entered the rear of the head and exploded outward, causing what the doctors called "maceration of the right hemisphere" of the brain. It was catastrophic.
📖 Related: Trump Approval Rating State Map: Why the Red-Blue Divide is Moving
John F Kennedy Cause of Death: The Two-Bullet Count
There’s a lot of talk about how many times he was hit. Most people get this mixed up. According to the Warren Commission and subsequent forensic reviews, Kennedy was struck by two separate bullets.
The first one hit his upper back/lower neck area. It didn't kill him. In fact, some medical experts argue he might have survived that specific wound with proper care. It passed through his neck and exited his throat.
The second one was the "kill shot."
- The Entrance: A small hole in the rear of the skull (occipital region).
- The Exit: A massive, jagged opening on the right side of the head (parietal/temporal area).
- The Result: Total loss of vital brain function.
You've probably heard of the "Single Bullet Theory." This is the idea that one bullet went through JFK and then hit Governor John Connally. While it sounds like a stretch to some, 3D laser scans of Dealey Plaza in recent years have actually shown the alignment was more plausible than it looks on a 2D map.
👉 See also: Ukraine War Map May 2025: Why the Frontlines Aren't Moving Like You Think
Why the Controversy Never Dies
If the medical evidence is so "clear," why are we still arguing?
Kinda comes down to the botched nature of the autopsy itself. The doctors at Bethesda, James Humes and J. Thornton Boswell, weren't forensic pathologists. They were general pathologists. They had never seen a high-velocity rifle wound like this before. They even admitted to being intimidated by the "brass" in the room—military generals and admirals who were hovering over them while they worked.
Then there's the "Jet Effect."
When you watch the Zapruder film, JFK’s head snaps "back and to the left." For years, people said this proved a shot from the front (the Grassy Knoll). However, ballistics experts like Larry Sturdivan have explained this as a combination of a neuromuscular seizure and a "jet effect"—where the brain matter exiting the front of the head pushes the skull in the opposite direction. It’s a grisly bit of physics, but it aligns with a shot from the rear.
✨ Don't miss: Percentage of Women That Voted for Trump: What Really Happened
Modern Forensic Updates
In 2025 and early 2026, more documents from the National Archives were declassified. These didn't reveal a "second shooter" in a smoking gun way, but they did highlight just how messy the medical chain of custody was. We now know that the President's brain—which was supposed to be preserved for study—went missing from the National Archives in 1966.
That’s the kind of detail that keeps the fire of conspiracy burning.
Honestly, the john f kennedy cause of death is a closed case on paper but an open wound in American culture. Every time a new forensic tool comes out, someone runs the numbers again.
Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs
If you're trying to separate fact from fiction regarding the President's death, here is how you should approach the evidence:
- Read the HSCA Report, not just the Warren Commission. The 1979 House Select Committee on Assassinations used more advanced acoustics and forensic teams than the original 1964 group.
- Look at the "Z-frames" individually. Don't just watch the video. Look at the high-res stills (frames 312 and 313). They show the initial forward lurch of the head before the backward snap, which is a key indicator of a rear impact.
- Distinguish between Parkland and Bethesda. The doctors in Dallas (Parkland) were trying to save a life; the doctors in Maryland (Bethesda) were doing a forensic exam. Their observations differ because their goals were different.
- Follow the National Archives releases. As of 2026, almost the entire JFK collection is digitized. You can actually read the raw notes of the men who were in the room.
The science tells us he was hit from behind by a high-velocity rifle. The history tells us we might never be satisfied with that answer.
To dig deeper, you should examine the 2025 National Archives release specifically regarding the FBI's internal memos on the medical evidence, as these contain the most recent "clean" copies of the original testimony.