Paul Schrade, RFK Ally Shot in 1968, Believed in Second Gunman Until Death

Kennedy was making his way through the hotel kitchen with a group of aides, bodyguards and reporters when Sirhan, 24, drew a gun and shot multiple rounds. Kennedy and five others, one of them a leader of the United Auto Workers union, Schrade, were struck.

Schrade was hit in the head and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. At first, they thought he was dead. His head was propped on a straw hat that bore the likeness of Kennedy. A waiter shielded his face before someone took his pulse and determined that he was still alive. He was taken to hospital for emergency surgery to his skull. That bullet cracked his skull, but it didn't make it to his brain. But Kennedy died the following day.

Was Skeptical of Official Account for Years
Schrade, remaining in hospital recuperation, told reporters he did not get a good view of the shooter. "One or 10 could have been there," he said. But eventually, Schrade came to believe that more had happened than what had been publicly relayed.

In subsequent interviews, including one in 2018, Schrade insisted that Sirhan Sirhan had shot him and some others — not Kennedy. He cited evidence that more than eight shots were fired, even though Sirhan ' s gun carried only eight bullets. He also cited the autopsy report, which found the fatal shots were fired from behind where Kennedy stood, while witnesses saw Sirhan in front him.

Seeking the Truth His Whole Life
For the rest of his life, Schrade served as Kennedy's apostle, fighting to keep alive the charge that Kennedy's murder was the result of a conspiracy. He also backed expert theories that a second gunman might have been involved, and he felt that justice had yet to be fully delivered. But his attempts to have the case reopened were all in vain.

Schrade even appeared at Sirhan Sirhan's parole hearing in 2016, delivering a statement on his behalf, saying he believed he was not the one who killed Kennedy. Schrade apologized to Sirhan for not coming to his defense sooner. Two of Kennedy's sons — Douglas and Robert Jr. — would later subscribe to that theory.

Paul Schrade died on November 9, 2022, at the age of 98. For him, there was never any doubt that there was more than one gunman the night Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated.