Object

Gun That Killed Molly O'Connor

President Bartlet references this gun in the Oval Office during the midnight power transfer, identifying it as the weapon that killed Secret Service agent Molly O'Connor after purchase through a gun-show loophole. Walken presses Leo on the Beech Baron incident details while Bartlet, raw with grief, cites the gun as investigative evidence and a flashpoint for outrage. Staff including C.J. and Josh absorb the revelation amid procedural tension as Walken asserts control.

4 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Handoff and Power Play in the Oval

Referenced by President Bartlet as the weapon that killed Molly O'Connor and purchased through a legal loophole; functions as moral and emotional evidence justifying the President's fury and the broader urgency of response.

Before: Physically elsewhere as a piece of evidence in an investigation; conversationally present as a motivating fact.

After: Still evidence in the murder investigation; remains a rhetorical touchstone in Oval deliberations.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Walken Sworn In as Acting President

Referenced by President Bartlet as the weapon that killed Molly O'Connor and bought through a loophole; functions as evidentiary shorthand for anger and motive, but is not physically handled during the ceremony.

Before: Existing as Investigatory evidence noted earlier in briefings; in possession of investigative authorities.

After: Remains evidence in investigative custody; its mention continues to fuel the president's emotional state and policy rhetoric.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Constitutional Handoff — Walken Is Sworn In

President Bartlet references this gun — the weapon that killed Molly O'Connor — as evidence of policy failure and as a moral spur for the administration's urgency; it functions narratively as the human cost behind the constitutional actions.

Before: Held as investigative evidence or described in briefing materials accessible to the President and staff.

After: Remains evidence under investigation; its mention continues to shape emotional and political responses.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Whispered Loyalty During the Transfer of Power

Bartlet references this gun — the weapon that killed Molly O'Connor — as legal and moral evidence driving his anger and urgency. Though not physically handled in the scene, it functions as a narrative accelerant for his decision-making.

Before: Part of investigative material and evidence in the broader crisis; not present on the desk but referenced aloud.

After: Remains evidentiary; its mention shapes Bartlet's emotional tone and the staff's determination to act.

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