Alec Baldwin Says He Didn't Pull The Trigger On The Prop Gun That Killed A Cinematographer

Actor Alec Baldwin said he did not pull the trigger that killed a cinematographer named Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of his western film “Rust” in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopolous.

“I didn’t pull the trigger, I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never,” Baldwin said.

Stephanopoulos asked Baldwin why he pointed the gun at Hutchins and pulled the trigger when that wasn't in the script.

"I would never point a gun at anyone and then pull the trigger, never," Baldwin replied. There was no explanation beyond those comments.

He added that he had no idea how a live bullet was in the Colt .45 revolver. "Someone put a live bullet in the gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property," Baldwin said.

The incident occurred on Oct. 21 when he accidentally shot Hutchins after being told the gun was safe to handle. Authorities are still investigating how a live bullet ended up inside the gun.

Baldwin spoke highly of Hutchins, saying she was “loved by everyone who worked with her.”

The film’s assistant director Dave Halls had previously been fired after another gun misfired on the set of a film titled “Freedom’s Path” in 2019 and wounded a crew member. Halls had told Baldwin the gun he handed him was “cold” prior to the tragic accident that killed Halyna and wounded director Joel Souza. Halls’ attorney says her client didn’t hand Baldwin the gun and it wasn’t his responsibility to check if it was loaded. Charges have not yet been filed.

The armorer for “Rust,” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told a detective she had loaded the gun with five dummy rounds before lunch, but she had trouble loading the sixth. She cleaned it out after lunch and was able to load the sixth, according to an affidavit filed on Tuesday, the New York Times reported.

Two separate lawsuits have been field labeling Baldwin, the film’s producers, and other crew members as the defendants. Both lawsuits argue Baldwin should have checked the gun himself to see if it was safe to use on set.

Stephanopolous said he has done thousands of interviews in the past 20 years with ABC, and called his interview with Baldwin “the most intense” he ever experienced.

The full interview is scheduled to air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. on ABC and Hulu.