For all the times it had been passed around, pointed and mechanically manipulated in a Toronto courtroom over the past month, the matte-black handgun still commanded the caution of Judy Chin, a firearms expert from the Centre of Forensic Sciences.
Ms. Chin, of all people, knows the first rule of safe handling: Always assume the gun is loaded.
And so, before she demonstrated the various functions of Edward Paredes's Baby Desert Eagle pistol yesterday, she checked to make sure the chamber was empty.
Mr. Paredes, 24, and Awet Zekarias, 25, are on trial for the second-degree murder of John O'Keefe, a 42-year-old father who was walking up Yonge Street in the early hours of Jan. 12, 2008.
The Crown alleges Mr. Paredes, at the urging of his friend Mr. Zekarias, fired his legally registered handgun at a bouncer who had ejected the two men from the Brass Rail strip club, but instead hit Mr. O'Keefe, an innocent passerby on his way home.
Mr. O'Keefe, struck by a bullet to the head from behind, was killed instantly, court has heard.
Mr. Paredes has acknowledged firing the gun and offered to plead guilty to manslaughter, but the Crown declined his offer as it contends he intended to kill Brass Rail staff when he pulled the trigger.
Ms. Chin's testimony, before a nine-man, three-woman jury and Madam Justice Mary Lou Benotto of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, marked the end of the Crown's case, which opened Feb. 10. Defence lawyers will start presenting their evidence on Monday.
Court has heard that the two accused went to the Brass Rail to join friends and celebrate Mr. Zekarias's birthday, but that they violated club policies and were ejected by security staff.
Witnesses have testified that Mr. Zekarias repeatedly urged Mr. Paredes to pull out his gun and "smoke the fools."
As bouncers and bar patrons on the sidewalk jumped clear upon sight of the gun, an oblivious Mr. O'Keefe, walking with his back to the gunman, stepped into the path of the bullet, fired from about 14 metres behind him on the Yonge Street sidewalk, court has heard.