In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired on December 2, Alec Baldwin stated that he didn’t pull the trigger on a prop gun he was holding on a New Mexico film set when it went off, killing a cinematographer. “I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin admitted. “I’d never point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. Never.” It’s Baldwin’s first sit-down interview since shooting on the set of the western film Rust on October 21.
The assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin a prop gun that went off on a movie set in New Mexico, killing a cinematographer, supports the actor’s claim that he didn’t pull the trigger. According to Lisa Torraco, a lawyer for assistant director David Halls, Baldwin never pulled the trigger, according to her client. “He told me from the start that he thought it had been a misfire,” Torraco said. “It was just really hard to believe until Alec said that, but Dave has told me since the primary day I met him that Alec didn’t pull that trigger.”
Authorities have stated that Baldwin was told the gun was safe to handle, but they’re still investigating how a live round got into the weapon. On December 1, ABC aired a clip during which Baldwin breaks down in tears while describing Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on the set. Joel Souza, the director, was also injured. In response to a question about how a live round ended up on the set, Alec Baldwin stated: “I’m not sure. Someone loaded a live bullet into a gun that wasn’t even supposed to be on the premises.”
The interview will air as part of an hour-long special on ABC on Thursday, December 2, at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will also be available on Hulu later that evening. Investigators have described “some complacency” in the handling of weapons on the Rust set. They have stated that it is too early to determine whether charges will be filed, despite the fact that separate civil lawsuits have been filed regarding liability in the fatal shooting.
Investigators have described “some complacency” in the handling of weapons on the Rust set. They have stated that it is too early to determine whether charges will be filed, despite the fact that separate civil lawsuits have been filed regarding liability in the fatal shooting.
According to reports, a two-hour special, 20/20, will be aired next week that will delve deeper into the investigation into the shooting.