Mr. Belin. Now, you said the first one you thought was a firecracker?
Mr. Fischer. Yes.
Mr. Belin. What about the second one? Did you think that was a firecracker, too?
Mr. Fischer. No. When the second shot rang out. It was too much like the first to be a firecracker. I have heard high-powered rifles fire before. The—uh—first shot fooled me, I think, because of the sound bouncing off the buildings. But the second shot was too much like the first and it was too loud—both shots were too loud to be a firecracker. And I knew it was a shot.
Mr. Belin. Have you had any experience with high-powered rifles before?
Mr. Fischer. Very little; but I have shot several.
Mr. Belin. What about the third shot? Did you think that was a firecracker or what?
Mr. Fischer. No; I knew it was a shot, too. I knew someone was shooting at something. Uh—it didn't—it still didn't dawn on me that anyone would try to shoot at the President, but I knew that somebody was shooting at something. I didn't know whether it was a real pistol or a real rifle—but I knew somebody was shooting a firearm.
Mr. Belin. Where did the shots appear to be coming from?
Mr. Fischer. They appeared to be coming from just west of the School Book Depository Building. There were some railroad tracks and there were some railroad cars back in there.