The case against Alec Baldwin is taking a bad twist for the embattled actor. As I reported previously, the FBI acknowledged what we all knew—a gun can’t shoot itself (below). As it turns out, this is the premise for new charges being levied against Baldwin.
The Case Against Alec Baldwin Reopens with New Charges
Earlier this year, prosecutors dropped their involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting on the Rust set. In April, special prosecutors in the case dismissed the involuntary manslaughter claims without prejudice. However, filing “without prejudice” means that a case could be reopened in the future. That future is now.
On Tuesday, October 17, almost exactly two years after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, prosecutors announced the decision. According to reports, “additional facts have come to light” due to “extensive” investigations.
Deadline reports, “‘After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,’ said Special Prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis today of the tragedy on the New Mexico set of the Indie Western on October 21 two years ago.”
The Deadline story continues, “‘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,’ declared the damning special prosecutors report commissioned August 2 from Lucien Haag and Michael Haag.”
Reports show that both the FBI and independent weapons examiners dispute Baldwin’s claims that he didn’t pull the trigger. This may make it difficult for the actor’s lawyers to argue otherwise.
According to Breitbart News, “It remains unclear what the nature of the new charges could be, but prosecutors had submitted the gun used in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins for further analysis, according to a New York Times report.”
The new charges could be put before a grand jury in just a matter of weeks. More to come as it unfolds.
On August 18, 2022, Joshua Swanagon reported:
It’s been almost a year since anti-gun actor Alec Baldwin shot a crew member, leading to an attempted case of misdirection. The Rust shooting has revealed much about Hollywood, like blatant hypocrisy, little knowledge about guns, and horrible firearm safety protocols. But now, the situation finally forced the FBI to acknowledge what pro-gun rights groups have been saying all along: Guns can’t fire themselves.
FBI Findings in the Case of the Alec Baldwin Shooting Show the Gun Couldn’t Fire Itself
First, let’s debunk Baldwin’s claims that he didn’t pull the trigger. I’m not going to speculate why he pulled the trigger, but the claim that he didn’t doesn’t hold water.
In an interview with ABC News, the actor told George Stephanopoulos, “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never.”
He was making a western. Where he would be shooting people. Even though gun control advocates want people to think that guns fire themselves, they know they don’t. Baldwin has been making movies for a long time, and he knows that to make it look authentic, you have to pull the trigger. A movie where cowboys point their gun at someone, and it magically goes off on its own would be a box office flop.
But this doesn’t stop Hollywood elites like Baldwin from trying to make the public believe that guns shoot people. In fact, Baldwin needs people to believe that now more than ever. But, in a moment of odd honesty, the FBI confirmed what we already knew. Like all other guns, the gun Alec Baldwin shot Halyna Hutchins with couldn’t fire itself.
According to ABC News, “The gun used in the fatal shooting on the ‘Rust’ movie set could not have been fired without pulling the trigger, according to an FBI forensic report obtained Friday by ABC News.”
But in an attempt to find some way it might not be Baldwin’s fault, the report goes on to say:
“With the hammer de-cocked on a loaded chamber, the gun was able to detonate a primer ‘without a pull of the trigger when the hammer was struck directly,’ which is normal for this type of revolver, the report stated.”
However, video shows his finger on the trigger, he wasn’t striking the hammer directly.
Ongoing Investigation
As part of the ongoing investigation, the FBI conducted an accidental discharge test to determine whether Baldwin’s claims were true. They tested the F.lli Pietta single-action revolver in quarter-, half-, and fully cocked positions, and all produced the same result. It would not fire without pulling the trigger.
A Fox 10 report states, “According to a press release, the Santa Fe Sheriffs’ detectives received the FBI’s completed forensic reports on Aug. 2. They were then forwarded to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) ‘for review.’”
Suffolk County Police Department in New York is still actively assisting the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. The New York department is helping the Santa Fe Sheriff Office acquire and process Baldwin’s phone records.
Fox 10 continues, “’The District Attorney’s office has been working with Suffolk County PD, and Baldwin’s lawyer to acquire the phone records,’ Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said. ‘Once Suffolk County PD completes its agency assist and sends those records to New Mexico law enforcement, our detectives will need to then thoroughly review those phone records for evidentiary purposes.’”
I hope Hollywood learns a lesson from this. Even with a prop gun, you must ensure that no live ammunition is present. It’s basic gun safety. Both Baldwin and the production company are complicit in negligence, at the very least.
But the really important lesson from all of this, for all of you gun control people in the back, is that guns cannot fire themselves. They require direct input from a live individual.
Guns don’t commit crimes, they don’t murder people, they aren’t sentient, and they don’t experience thoughts of their own. They require someone like Alec Baldwin to pick them up and pull the trigger. Full stop.
