He pulled the hammer back with his thumb and let go. And the gun just went off.
If you ever saw a western were the shooter "fans the hammer" to rapid fire.
That is basically what he did. He did not pull the hammer all the way back to the locked position. You let go of the hammer without it locked, it FIRES!
excuses excuses. The scene he was shooting at the time did not require the use of the gun so there would have been no reason to pick it up at all. Also severql witnesses said he picked the gun up aimed it at her and shot her period.
I had not heard that. They said he was rehearsing a cross draw which would require handling the firearm.
I heard he was supposed to have a gun, but not cock it and not fire it.