It looks like whoever put the gun into evidence and then into the court room may not have checked it to make sure it wasn’t loaded. Or that maybe someone loaded the gun when it was brought into the court room. And if this is the case then it would appear that someone wanted to hurt or maybe even kill someone. But there just isn’t enough info on this at this time. But definitely firearms safety rules were not followed. and that is the gun was not checked to make sure that it wasn’t loaded.
I don’t know how things happen in South Africa, but that kind of evidence is usually only brought in to the courtroom for a trial and most trials are months, if not years, after an arrest and all the evidence is collected. It is hard to think that the gun remained loaded while held in evidence from the time is was seized by police, checked into evidence, through the chain of custody, and to the courthouse. It makes me wonder how often that happens.
And they are now investigating her death as a culpable homicide.