Alec Baldwin In First Interview Since ‘Rust’ Shooting: ‘I Didn’t Pull The Trigger’

Alec Baldwin claims he never pulled the trigger of the gun that shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in his first sit-down interview since the tragic shooting on the set of Rust.

“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin told George Stephanopoulos in a preview of the interview released Wednesday. 

Asked by @GStephanopoulos how a real bullet got on the "Rust" set, Alec Baldwin says: “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”

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— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2021

In the exclusive interview, set to air on Thursday on ABC, the actor says that he had no reason to believe a live round was even on set. “Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin said. 

When Stephanopoulos asked him why he would point a gun at Hutchins, especially when it wasn’t in the script, Baldwin denied doing so. “I would never point a gun at anyone and then pull the trigger, never,” he told the host. 

Baldwin appears very emotional throughout the edited clip, fighting back the tears as he talks about the shooting. 

In addition to Hutchins being killed, director Joel Souza was injured in the shooting on set in October. Baldwin was rehearsing with an antique revolver for a scene in the Western.

The incident is still under investigation. Investigators have said that it is still too soon to determine whether or not criminal charges will be filed.