Investigators believe the gun Alec Baldwin was handling when it fired a bullet that killed Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins may have been intentionally modified. In a motion requesting forensic testing of the .45 Long Colt revolver and ammunition, New Mexico special prosecutors say "the modification appears to be related to the notches on the internal portion of the hammer for full cock, half cock and quarter cock positions." Specifically, "it appears that these notches may have been partially removed or ground down so that they are less prominent," according to the motion filed Wednesday, per Reuters.
Prosecutors are requesting forensic testing to confirm the modification, determine its source, and learn what effect it had on the gun's performance. "If it is found to have been modified, it could bolster Baldwin’s contention that he never pulled the trigger when it discharged, despite FBI tests and expert skepticism claiming otherwise," reports the Washington Post. Prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Baldwin last month with the Los Angeles Times reporting that possible modifications to the gun's "hammer and sear" may have affected the firing mechanism.
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed still faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Her lawyer—who filed a motion Thursday to drop the criminal case against her—is not opposing the prosecutors' motion to transfer the gun, ammunition, and a jacket Gutierrez-Reed wore to a ballistics expert for testing, per the Post and Reuters. The plan is to examine the jacket for gunpowder residue. Numerous legal battles over the shooting continue, as the Post points out. In one lawsuit, Gutierrez-Reed accuses the movie's ammunition supplier of providing live ammunition to the set. (More Rust stories.)
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