How a Gun Can Shoot Without Trigger Pull: Inside Baldwin’s Defense

As the first week of Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico winds down, the actor’s defense team aims to present a nuanced argument to the jury.

The 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live star has asserted that he did not pull the trigger on the gun that discharged on the set of the film Rust, resulting in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. However, his lawyers also contend that even if Baldwin did indeed pull the trigger, he would still not be guilty because he had no reason to believe the gun contained live rounds.

“On a movie set, you’re allowed to pull the trigger,” said Baldwin’s attorney, Alex Spiro, during opening statements. “Even if he intentionally pulled the trigger… that doesn’t make him guilty of homicide.”

Spiro further argued that Baldwin had neither the knowledge nor any reason to suspect that the gun was loaded with a live bullet, which he emphasized is the critical element in the case. “That live bullet is the key. That is the lethal element,” he stated.

The defense also suggested that the weapon had a “hair trigger” and referenced the owner’s manual, which indicates that the gun could potentially fire accidentally if loaded with a live primer.

In a 2021 interview with ABC News, Baldwin insisted that the gun discharged on its own. “The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin claimed, adding, “Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”

Fast forward three years, and the prosecution is now determined to prove in the Santa Fe courtroom that Baldwin did indeed fire the gun on the set of the Western film.

“The evidence will show… this gun functioned and worked just fine,” special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson argued.

The prosecution further portrayed Baldwin as recklessly handling weapons on set, presenting him as someone who carelessly pointed the gun at people and objects. “You will see him using this gun as a pointer to point at people, point at things,” Johnson stated during opening arguments. “You will see him cock the hammer when he is not supposed to cock the hammer, you will see him put his finger on the trigger when his finger’s not supposed to be on the trigger.”

On Thursday, Alessandro Pietta, whose company manufactures the replica gun used in the film, testified that it is technically not possible for the pistol to discharge without an intentional trigger pull. “This gun cannot fire without pulling the trigger because of the mechanics and design of the trigger was made to work in this way,” Pieta explained, highlighting quality checks conducted by both U.S. and Italian authorities on the weapon.

The case may ultimately hinge on which interpretation of the gun’s technical specifications gains the jury’s trust. Spiro has argued that Baldwin wasn’t given the opportunity to test the pistol in its original state due to damage incurred during FBI testing.

Meanwhile, set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has already been convicted in relation to the shooting and has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.