DESERET NEWS: LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was critically wounded early today by a swarthy gunman as he was leaving a jubilant primary election celebration. After undergoing nearly four hours of surgery, doctors said his conditions was "extremely critical."
Kennedy was shot in the head and neck. His aides quickly subdued the alleged gunman. At mid-morning, the suspect was identified as Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, 24, of nearby Pasadena . . . He had been identified by his brother, Munir (Joe) Sirhan. (Mayor Sam) Yorty said the brothers recently came to the United States from Jerusalem. The suspect had four $100 bills in his possession and a newspaper clipping critical of Kennedy . . .Dr. Henry Cuneo said that even if Kennedy lives, he might suffer extensive brain damage . . . Cuneo said several major arteries were severed and Kennedy's brain suffered extensive loss of blood and oxygen as well as several blood clots.
A "comer" in the Kennedy family's political aspirations, Robert F. Kennedy became the second in the family to suffer assassination within a five-year period. He had been U.S. attorney and a senator from New and was a likely candidate for the Democratic nomination for president when Sirhan cut his life short. Sirhan was sentenced to die, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison when California's death penalty was declared unconstitutional.