Fact Check: "Kennedy was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after giving a speech celebrating his victory in California’s presidential primary."
What We Know
On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was indeed shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles shortly after delivering a victory speech for the California primary elections held the previous day. Kennedy, a U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, had won the California primary with 46% of the vote, defeating his rivals Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey (Wikipedia, AP News). He addressed supporters in the Embassy Ballroom of the hotel around 12:02 a.m. PDT, concluding his speech with a hopeful message about moving on to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention (Remembering Robert F. Kennedy, History).
After his speech, as he exited through a kitchen area of the hotel, he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, who fired a .22 caliber revolver, hitting Kennedy and several others. Kennedy was pronounced dead the following day, June 6, 1968, at Good Samaritan Hospital (Wikipedia, C-SPAN Classroom).
Analysis
The claim that Kennedy was fatally shot moments after his victory speech is supported by multiple credible sources. The timeline of events is consistent across various reports, including detailed accounts from historical records and news articles. For instance, the Wikipedia article provides a comprehensive overview of the assassination, including the context of the California primary and the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The AP News and History articles corroborate the timing and location of the shooting, emphasizing that it occurred shortly after Kennedy's speech. The details about the shooting, including the identity of the shooter and the circumstances surrounding the event, are well-documented and widely accepted in historical accounts.
While some sources, such as ABC News, discuss the ongoing controversies and conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination, they do not dispute the basic facts of the event itself. The reliability of these sources is generally high, as they are established news organizations and historical archives.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that "Kennedy was fatally shot on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after giving a speech celebrating his victory in California’s presidential primary" is accurate. The timing, location, and circumstances of the assassination are well-documented and corroborated by multiple credible sources.
Sources
- Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy - Wikipedia
- Remembering Robert F. Kennedy
- Today in History: June 5, Robert F. Kennedy shot - AP News
- Robert F. Kennedy is fatally shot | June 5, 1968 | HISTORY
- The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, Los Angeles, California
- Robert F. Kennedy Assassination | C-SPAN Classroom
- 50 years after shots rang out at the Ambassador Hotel, controversy ...
- Robert F. Kennedy Is Assassinated
