The gun that fired a fatal shot on the set of “Rust” in 2021 would not have fired unless Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger, according to a new firearms report submitted to special prosecutors.
Baldwin, 65, has maintained that he never pulled the trigger before the weapon fired a single bullet that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the movie set outside Santa Fe, N.M. on Oct. 21, 2021.
In April, special prosecutors dismissed all criminal charges against Baldwin, saying they could not pursue the case. However, charges could still be refiled against the veteran actor.
Special prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason J. Lewis commissioned a firearms report from Lucien Haag, a weapons expert who owns a forensic science business in Arizona, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
“Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver,” Haag wrote, according to the Times.
The FBI had previously reached the same conclusion in its own examination of the weapon. However, FBI agents damaged the gun while testing whether it could have misfired.
To restore the firearm to its initial condition, Haag broke down and reassembled the replica pistol, the Times reported. Upon reassembly, he found that it worked as designed, and no bullets would be fired unless around two pounds of pressure was placed on the trigger.
Morrissey previously said that if Baldwin were to face charges again, they would be refiled around mid-August. As of Tuesday, only armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remained charged in the case. She has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.