Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother to John F Kennedy, former Attorney General and New York Senator, and a leading Democratic presidential candidate, was assassinated on June 5, 1968. He was at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, shortly after delivering a victory speech following his win in the California primary. The official story is that Kennedy was shot multiple times by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian man. Sirhan was quickly apprehended at the scene and later claimed that he was angry over Kennedy’s pro-Israel stance, particularly his support for Israel in the wake of the Six-Day War in 1967. Kennedy was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, on June 6, 1968.

Although Sirhan Sirhan was arrested and convicted of the murder, many conspiracy theories have since emerged surrounding the assassination. Some people believe that there may have been a second gunman or that Sirhan’s actions were part of a larger plot. These theories have been fueled by the fact that Sirhan’s gun was only a small-caliber revolver which was inconsistent with the murder weapon, and the physical evidence suggested that the shots that killed Kennedy came from close range—closer than Sirhan was able to stand to the senator at the time. Some argue that there were additional shooters in the pantry, pointing to discrepancies in witness testimony and the trajectory of the bullets.

Conspiracy theories point to the possibility of CIA or other government involvement, citing the political climate of the time, with Kennedy being a vocal critic of the Vietnam War and a potential force for change in U.S. politics. Others suggest that powerful figures within the Democratic Party may have had motives for silencing Kennedy as he was gaining momentum in the race for president. Did Sirhan Sirhan act alone? Or was he merely a victim of MK Ultra? Did he actually kill RFK, or was there someone else directly responsible?