Parkland

President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson begin a political trip through Texas. After a speech in Fort Worth, the entourage flies to Dallas for a high-profile motorcade. The day is marked by security preparations and media buzz as the convoy readies to roll.

In Dallas, several people start their day with routine duties that will intersect the events to come. Dr. Jim Carrico wakes and responds to a trauma call at Parkland Hospital. Dressmaker Abraham Zapruder arrives at his office and tells his staff to assemble for the motorcade. FBI Agent James Hosty discusses matters with Gordon Shanklin, while Robert Oswald goes to his office.

Kennedy lands at Dallas Love Field with Forrest Sorrells ensuring Secret Service coverage. The motorcade is prepared to depart for the downtown route. The stage is set for what will become a defining moment of the day.

The motorcade moves toward downtown Dallas, passing through Dealey Plaza where cameras capture the procession. Zapruder’s camera begins rolling as the dignitaries pass by, freezing the moment in film for history.

Three gunshots echo from the street, and Kennedy is fatally wounded. The motorcade speeds away toward Parkland Hospital as witnesses react in shock. Zapruder is approached by reporter Harry McCormick, confirming he filmed the motorcade.

Arriving at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Kennedy is placed in Trauma Room One as doctors attempt to save him. Carrico and Perry perform life-saving procedures, including a tracheotomy, while a priest is summoned for rites. The medical team fights to turn back the irreversible damage.

Newsroom officials press Zapruder to provide his footage for broadcast. Sorrells coordinates with the media to process the film privately before any public release. Zapruder then heads to the Kodak lab near Love Field to help secure copies.

Kennedy’s condition deteriorates and he is pronounced dead after ongoing CPR. Johnson is rushed to Air Force One at Love Field and takes the presidential oath of office during the flight to Washington, the nation absorbing the shock of the moment.

Zapruder’s film is processed under tight supervision at the Kodak lab near Love Field, and copies are ordered for distribution. Life Magazine editor Dick Stolley requests access, but the release is carefully managed to avoid showing the fatal shot to the public in order to protect Kennedy’s dignity.

Robert Oswald realizes his brother Lee is involved in a high-profile crime and is being investigated for Tippit’s murder. Hosty briefs Shanklin, while Marina receives a prior lead about the investigation. Lee denies involvement when confronted by Robert, who vows to secure him a lawyer.

Lee Harvey Oswald is shot by Jack Ruby on live television and is rushed to Parkland, where he is denied entry to Trauma Room One. In another operating room, doctors continue treatment until Oswald succumbs to his wounds, disappointing Robert and Marguerite.

Three days after the assassination, both Kennedy and Oswald have their funerals, marking a national pause in the wake of tragedy. Parkland staff, Zapruder, the FBI, and the Secret Service return to work while memories of the day linger.

In the aftermath, Robert remains in Dallas and does not deny Lee’s involvement, while Marguerite holds a contrasting view. Zapruder continues to grapple with the trauma of that day, and Carrico goes on to lead trauma medicine. The events leave a lasting imprint on all who experienced them.