A forensic investigation determined that the gun used on the film set must have been "pulled or pressed hard enough" to fire itself. This contradicts what Alec Baldwin said, so he could face new charges against him.
In October 2021, tragedy broke out on the set of the movie Rust. During a camera test, the film's actor and producer, Alec Baldwin, fired a firearm that injured director Joel Souza and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
In April of this year, the New Mexico prosecutor's office withdrew the involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor. After the investigation, it was concluded that there was no criminal intent on Baldwin's part when he held the weapon. However, everything could change.
In the last hours, it was revealed that Baldwin could be charged again after a forensic report concluded that the Colt. 45 that was used in the Rust set would have to have been "pulled or pushed down far enough" in order.
It must be remembered that during the interviews that Alec Baldwin gave to the media, he insisted that he did not pull the trigger of the weapon. "The trigger was not pulled. I did not pull the trigger," the interpreter had told ABC News.
Earlier this year prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis had ordered an examination of the weapon and have been awaiting the results ever since. Finally, the forensic report was published on Wednesday, August 15 through a court filing.
To reach their conclusion, the experts rebuilt the revolver—which broke during FBI testing—to determine that the gun would only have fired if "pulled or pushed hard enough."
The report stated that the tragic event occurred because the hammer was manually pulled back to its fully rearward and cocked position, and at some juncture, the trigger was pulled or drawn back, leading to the incident.
Additionally, the report highlights that despite Alec Baldwin's consistent denial of pulling the trigger, considering the conducted tests, outcomes, and observations, it is evident that the trigger must have been pulled or pressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted firing pin of the revolver in question.
In June, prosecutors said the actor would be charged if the gun was found to be working properly. Although Baldwin has not been formally charged to date, prosecutors announced that there will be news soon. If the manslaughter charges are upheld, Alec could face up to 5 years in prison.
Currently, Rust's set gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, is facing charges of manslaughter and evidence tampering. According to her lawyers, Gutierrez Reed assures that the person responsible for mixing the real bullets with the blank ones was Seth Kenney, a weapons supplier for the film.
Now we will have to wait for the resolution of the prosecutors and see what happens with the judicial situation of Alec Baldwin, which now seems more complicated than ever.
