William Thomas Pettit (April 23, 1931 – December 22, 1995) was an American journalist, who was a television news correspondent for NBC from the 1960s through 1995.

In 1985, he returned to reporting, serving as national affairs correspondent until 1989, when he began a three-year stint in NBC's London office.

After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Pettit was dispatched to Dallas where he served, in effect, as a police reporter.

In the famous footage of Lee Harvey Oswald being killed by Jack Ruby in Dallas, Pettit, standing six feet away, is heard exclaiming, "He's been shot.

[2] Pettit was best known for his acumen in interviewing national leaders, including several presidents.