Alec Baldwin speaks out about Rust shooting in first TV interview—'I didn't pull the trigger'

Alec Baldwin has denied that he pulled the trigger that killed Halyna Hutchins, speaking out for the first time about the details of that fateful day in an emotional exclusive. 

The Hollywood actor has given a candid TV interview to ABC, in which he opened up about the deadly incident on the set of his 2021 film, Rust. 

Baldwin, 63, appeared visibly upset as he responded to tough questions on the 21 October shooting, which killed the low-budget's Director of Photographer, Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza was also wounded in the accident. 

The tragedy occurred during a rehearsal scene for the Western movie, when Baldwin allegedly improperly discharged a firearm at the 42-year-old cinematographer. The catastrophe sent shockwaves throughout the TV and movie industry, with celebrities like Succesion's Brian Cox calling the shooting 'unbelievable'. 

Baldwin has now denied the accusations that he was responsible for the final blow, insisting that he "didn't pull the trigger" on the gun that struck Hutchins. 

When asked by ABC host George Stephanopoulos why the gun was shot when the script didn't call for it, Baldwin replied, "Well, the trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger." 

As for how the gun ended up on the set, the Emmy-award winner insisted he didn't know. 

"I have no idea," he said. "Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property." 

After admitting that this is the worst thing that's ever happened to him, Baldwin added, "I think back, and I think of, 'What could I have done?'" 

Court records reveal that Baldwin was handed the gun by Rust's assistant director, Dave Halls, who shouted "cold gun" to indicate that it wasn't loaded. The weapon had been given to Halls by Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer. 

When interviewed by Santa Fe police, the 24-year-old admitted she "didn't really check it [the gun] too much" before handing it to Halls. 

An investigation into the case is ongoing.