RFK Wins California: Then Shot in Kitchen
Sirhan Sirhan shot Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968 (Kennedy died the following day, June 6). Kennedy had just won the California Democratic presidential primary and was cutting through the hotel kitchen to reach the press room. Sirhan fired eight rounds from a .22 caliber Iver Johnson revolver. Kennedy was hit three times; five bystanders were also wounded. Conspiracy theories have persisted for decades, partly because forensic evidence suggested 13 shots were fired from two directions, and an audio recording appeared to capture more than eight shots. Sirhan has consistently claimed he cannot remember the shooting. He has been denied parole 16 times. Kennedy's assassination deprived the anti-war movement of its most viable presidential candidate.
June 6, 1968
58 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 6
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