Abilene Man Discusses Discovery of Oswald's Rifle
By: Gina Benitez
Updated: November 18, 2011
"I heard the first shot, and by the time the second shot was fired, I was in the middle of Houston Street running across Houston Street as what's been referred later to as the grassy knoll," said Boone.
Boone remembers the Presidential Motorcade entering the triple underpass when three shots were fired.
"It's really interesting that you ask how I feel because I didn't really feel anything. There wasn't time to do that."
His instincts immediately kicked in.
"I glanced to my right and there were two people on the ground. And the first thing I thought was 'there's two dead people there."
Boone and his team searched through freight yards with no luck. The investigation soon centered on the nearby school book depository. As he proceeded to the Northwest corner of the building, he saw two rows of books stacked.
"And I happened to be one of the officers that went to the 6th floor of the school book depository. And there was a crevice down between the bottom two books, and in that crevice was the rifle that would later be proved to have been used in the assassination of President Kennedy. You're looking for something that didn't belong there, and obviously, a rifle doesn't belong in that setting."
Through the police scanners, he says he initially heard that Governor John Connally and President Kennedy were both killed. We know now Connally was hit by a bullet but survived. A Chevrolet sign on top of the book depository displayed the time when Kennedy was shot. A deputy remembered it was 12:30. When Boone discovered the rifle, he looked down at his watch. It was 1:22. Oswald was captured soon after. What took place within that short time frame changed his way of thinking, forever.
"I think we were pretty naive as a people, up until that time. But I think things began to change, with the assassination of President Kennedy."







