Alec Baldwin's fatal 'Rust' gunshot still a 'negligent discharge,' expert says

Gun experts explained to Fox News Digital how a revolver could fire without the trigger being pulled and how that could be considered a "negligent discharge." Actor Alec Baldwin claimed he didn't pull the trigger of the revolver that fired on the set of "Rust," killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

Weapons armorer Bryan W. Carpenter told Fox News Digital that pulling the hammer back and releasing it, causing the gun to fire, is still considered a "negligent discharge."

"You have to cock the hammer, you have to pull the trigger, or you have to cock the hammer and let it fly forward, one of the two things, which requires an operator to do it," Carpenter explained. "And if an operator is doing it, then they're in control of the weapon. And if they're cocking the hammer, they're in the two-part process of firing it. And if they slip and let the hammer fall down, that's still a negligent discharge."