Sirhan Sirhan

Sirhan Sirhan (born March 19, 1944, Jerusalem) is a Palestinian-born Jordanian citizen who was convicted (1969) of fatally shooting U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. He received the death penalty, but the sentence was later commuted to life.

Sirhan, a Christian Palestinian, was born in Jerusalem. In 1948 Jordan took control of East Jerusalem and what is now the West Bank, and the following year it granted citizenship to people living in those areas. It is believed that this is how Sirhan became a Jordanian citizen. In the 1950s, he and his family moved to the United States and eventually settled in Pasadena, California. There he attended Pasadena City College and later held odd jobs, notably working at a horse stable and later at a health food store.

During this time, Sirhan became vocal in his opposition to Israel, especially after the Six-Day War (June 1967), in which the country seized control of various territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Old City of Jerusalem. Sirhan began directing his anger at Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who expressed support for Israel while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. On June 4, Kennedy won the California primary, and shortly after midnight, he gave a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. As he left through a service pantry, Kennedy was fatally shot; he died on June 6. In addition, five bystanders were wounded. Sirhan was apprehended at the scene—tackled by George Plimpton, Rosey Grier, and others—and he reportedly said, “I did it for my country.” The attack took place on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Six-Day War.

Sirhan later claimed he was unable to remember the shooting, saying that he was intoxicated at the time. However, during his 1969 trial, he admitted to having committed the crime, though he later said that his statements were the result of his defense attorney’s making him think he was guilty. On April 17, 1969, Sirhan was convicted of Kennedy’s murder, and several days later he was given the death sentence. When California abolished capital punishment in 1972, Sirhan’s sentence was commuted to life. His efforts to appeal his conviction were unsuccessful.

Numerous conspiracy theories surrounded Kennedy’s assassination. One of the most notable concerned the belief that there was a second gunman. On an audio tape of the shooting, 13 shots are reportedly heard, though Sirhan’s revolver had only 8 rounds. In addition, at Sirhan’s 2016 parole hearing, one of those wounded in the attack testified that a different gunman had shot Kennedy. The parole board, however, was not swayed by the claims, and Sirhan was again denied release. In 2021 he faced the board for the 16th time. The panel—which was operating under recent reforms that required it to consider age, health, and other factors—recommended that he be freed. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, denied his parole in 2022.