FBI Says 'Rust' Shooting Had To Be Caused By A 'Pull Of The Trigger'

The shooting led to the death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last year.
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The gun held by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the “Rust” movie tragedy could not have shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins “without a pull of the trigger,” according to an FBI forensic report detailed by ABC News.

Baldwin has previously said the gun was “cold” and, in an interview in December, told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos he “didn’t pull the trigger.”

Hutchins was shot and killed on the set of the Baldwin-produced film in New Mexico last year. Joel Souza, director of “Rust,” was also injured.

The FBI used “accidental discharge testing” to find that the weapon — with its hammer in a quarter- or half-cock position — couldn’t fire without pulling the trigger, ABC News said of the report.

It’s unclear whether the FBI used the actual gun Baldwin had in his hands on the “Rust” set for its testing.

The testing also reportedly found that the gun couldn’t fire without a trigger pull when it was fully cocked.

The gun’s hammer — when de-cocked and struck directly — could “detonate a primer” without a pull of the trigger, the report detailed.

Baldwin’s representatives did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for further comment.

The report, received by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, comes as part of an investigation into the fatal shooting.

The investigation has reportedly almost wrapped up as forensic reports are headed to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator for review.

Investigators are now looking for Baldwin’s phone records as well before sending a file to the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office for “final charging decisions,” Deadline reported.

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