Alec Baldwin may not be off the hook for ‘Rust’ shooting as new analysis claims he pulled the trigger

Actor Alec Baldwin is in the hot seat once again for the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust” that took his videographer’s life as a new analysis alleges that he did indeed pull the trigger.

(Video Credit: TODAY)

Baldwin has repeatedly claimed he never pulled the trigger. He admits to pulling the hammer back but says the shooting was accidental and he was not at fault. The tragic event took the life of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on the New Mexico set in October 2021.

An involuntary manslaughter charge was dismissed against the actor in April. Prosecutors claimed that the gun could have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned. Those same prosecutors commissioned a new analysis of the gun.

On August 2, a new analysis was released that was put together for Santa Fe County special prosecutors Kari T. Morrissey and Jason J. Lewis, according to NBC News. It found that the Colt .45 revolver was not modified and therefore the trigger was most likely pulled by Baldwin.

Firearms expert Lucien C. Haag of Carefree, Arizona, and forensic science consultant Michael G. Haag of Albuquerque, New Mexico, conducted the analysis, taking a hard look at the prop revolver, cartridges, and footage from the film. They came to the steadfast conclusion the trigger had to be pulled.

During the analysis, the experts replaced parts of the gun that were broken, something the FBI puzzlingly did not do in its original report. After that, the gun worked exactly the way it was designed to function, evidently indicating that Baldwin was at fault.

“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,” Lucien Haag noted.

“From an examination of the fired cartridge case and the operationally restored evidence revolver, this fatal incident was the consequence of the hammer being manually retracted to its fully rearward and cocked position followed, at some point, by the pull or rearward depression of the trigger,” he added.

Frames from clips on the set of “Rust” were included in the report. They were submitted to the experts, showing Baldwin in Western garb in a mock church on set. One frame actively showed him “cocking the silver-colored hammer of a long-barreled revolver with his right index finger ending up on or near the trigger,” Haag wrote in the analysis.

Two other frames damningly showed the actor’s right index finger “inside the trigger guard and either on, or near the trigger,” Haag also wrote concerning Baldwin’s culpability.

The analysis was part of a motion that was filed on Tuesday by the attorneys of “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She is still being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the case. The motion brought up the findings of the analysis and it requested jury instructions on causation.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey emailed NBC News on August 7 that a decision had not been made about the charges concerning Baldwin, “I am not giving any comment at this time. I have a lot to consider.”

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