Actor Alec Baldwin may be facing new charges over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust” after new analysis revealed Baldwin pulled the gun’s trigger – a conclusion the actor has repeatedly denied.
Ballistics and forensic testing experts released a new report on Tuesday stating the Colt .45 revolver used by Baldwin on set must have had the trigger pulled or depressed, the New York Post reported.
“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,” the report, from the Arizona-based Forensic Science Services, stated.
“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,” it continued.
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Earlier this year, the criminal charges against Baldwin for the fatal shooting were dropped.
Attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro told Fox News Digital in a statement at the time, “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident.”
Prosecutors previously criminally charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter. At the time, Nikas said the decision to charge his client was “a terrible miscarriage of justice.”
While rehearsing a scene on the set of the movie “Rust” in New Mexico in 2021, Baldwin fired an old-fashioned revolver, killing then-42-year-old Hutchins and wounding the western film’s director.
The 64-year-old actor later claimed he cocked the gun’s hammer but didn’t pull the trigger. An FBI report concluded that the gun couldn’t possibly have fired without a trigger pull.