When was Lee Harvey Oswald shot?

Summary answer

Lee Harvey Oswald was shot on Sunday, November 24, 1963, at approximately 1:21 p.m. Central Time (14:21 UTC) in Dallas, Texas. He was shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while being transported by police through the basement level of Dallas Police Headquarters. The shooting was captured on live television by several witnesses and news cameras, most notably by Abraham Zapruda and television crews from NBC and ABC. Oswald was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital at 1:07 p.m. that same day, having arrived there in critical condition following the shooting.

Context and sequence of events

Oswald had been arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, and was held in Dallas Police Headquarters. On the morning of November 24, he was being transferred under police custody through the building’s basement garage to the county jail. Moments after stepping out of the police car, he was shot at close range by Jack Ruby. The incident occurred in a publicly accessible area monitored by police and media, and the image of the shooting circulated worldwide. Within minutes, law enforcement subdued Ruby and secured the scene.

Immediate medical response and death

After being shot, Oswald was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where President Kennedy had been pronounced dead two days earlier. He arrived in cardiac arrest and underwent emergency surgery. Physicians attempted resuscitation for a considerable period but were unable to save him. At approximately 1:07 p.m. Central Time on November 24, 1963, Oswald was officially declared dead. The brief window between the shooting and death created intense scrutiny of the scene, the police procedures, and the televised nature of the event.

How the shooting was documented

The shooting was recorded by multiple cameras, most famously by Abraham Zapruda, a local businessman whose 8mm home movie captures the shooting in frames 313–316. Television networks NBC and ABC also broadcast portions of the incident live. These records shaped public understanding and became central to later investigations by the Warren Commission and subsequent research. The footage shows Oswald slumping after the shot, with Ruby still holding the pistol before police intervened.

Official investigations and aftermath

The Dallas Police, the FBI, and the Warren Commission reviewed the shooting as part of broader inquiries into the Kennedy assassination. Jack Ruby was arrested and charged with murder; he later claimed he acted out of grief and a desire to prevent Oswald from being moved. Ruby’s trial was repeatedly delayed, and he died in 1967 before any resolution. The televised nature of the shooting intensified public distrust and fueled numerous theories about motives and conspiracies, making the event a lasting reference point in the broader narrative of November 1963.

Key facts at a glance