Armorer on 'Rust' set gets maximum sentence for fatal shooting involving actor Alec Baldwin



The armorer on the set of "Rust" back in October 2021 when 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed has been given the maximum sentence.

Last month, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter but acquitted of a lesser charge of tampering with evidence, Blaze News previously reported. As armorer, Gutierrez-Reed was responsible for checking the safety of all ammunition and guns on set. She was also the person who loaded a live round into the weapon that fired the fatal shot.

Gutierrez-Reed, who was just 24 at the time of the shooting, sobbed throughout her sentencing hearing on Monday. Her attorney, Jason Bowles, had requested that she be given conditional release along with counseling, claiming she was a "scapegoat" for the shooting and insisting she "has endured and will continue to endure collateral consequences far harsher than most defendants ever must face."

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey stated she might have been persuaded to recommend a lighter sentence for this "unprecedented case" — until she found out Gutierrez-Reed had apparently been referring to jurors as "idiots" and "a**h***s" on recent phone calls from jail.

In addition, reports indicate that while awaiting trial, Gutierrez-Reed violated the conditions of her release by drinking alcohol. She also allegedly misled prosecutors about her work history and encouraged her mother to confront them in the bathroom at court, the New York Post reported.

Gutierrez-Reed "continues to deny responsibility and blame others," prosecutors explained in a letter last week.

"It was my sincere hope during this process that there would be some moment when Ms. Gutierrez took responsibility and expressed some level of remorse that was genuine. That moment has never come. Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to take responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins," Morrissey said at the hearing.

District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed, sentencing Gutierrez-Reed to 18 months in prison, the maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the state of New Mexico, where "Rust" was filmed. "You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon," the judge told the defendant. "But for you, a husband would have his wife and a little boy would have his mother."

Bowles previously indicated that the defense intends to appeal. Gutierrez-Reed has remained behind bars since her conviction.

Several of Hutchins' loved ones gave impact statements at the hearing, explaining how the loss continues to affect their lives. Emilia Mendieta, one of Hutchins' closest friends, blamed Hutchins' death on "a massive system failure," of which Gutierrez-Reed was a part. "Why was there a live bullet on set? … That is where Hannah Gutierrez-Reed failed Halyna. It was her job to check the gun, check the bullets, to ensure that Halyna was safe," she said.

According to family friend Steven Metz, Matt Hutchins, Halyna's widower, "basically ... died" when his wife died. "There is really no excuse [for her death]," he added.

Actor Alec Baldwin also faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the case. Though all evidence suggests he fired the shot that killed Hutchins, Baldwin denies ever pulling the trigger, claiming instead that the gun malfunctioned. His trial is scheduled for July.

David Halls, the first assistant director on "Rust," pled no contest to negligent use of a deadly weapon and has been sentenced to probation.

Filming of "Rust" was placed on hold following the shooting, but it was eventually completed. No release date has been announced. As part of the settlement of a wrongful death lawsuit, Matthew Hutchins was named an executive producer.

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Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter after initial charge dropped over movie set shooting



Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter over the shooting on the set of his movie near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in Oct. 2021.

A grand jury indicted Baldwin after previous charges were dropped in April.

Prosecutors said they received a new analysis from the gun fired in the shooting and those led to the new charge against Baldwin. That analysis said that the trigger must have been pulled or depressed to fire the weapon, which contradicts Baldwin's claim.

"The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at someone and pull the trigger on them, never," said Baldwin in his first public interview after the shooting.

The gunshot wounded and killed Halyna Hutchins, a 42-year-old cinematographer who was working on the movie. Director Joel Souza, 48, was also wounded but only superficially. Baldwin was the lead actor on the "Rust" movie, as well as a co-producer and writer.

Investigators said in Oct. 2021 that a crew member had told them he had failed to check all of the rounds in the gun before it was handed to the actor to rehearse the scene.

"The facts are clear – a weapon was handed to Mr. Baldwin, the weapon is functional and fired a live round killing Ms. Hutchins and injuring Mr. Souza," said Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.

An involuntary manslaughter charge in New Mexico could result in a sentence of up to 18 months in prison.

Baldwin has been very vocal about his left-wing political leanings and his hatred for former President Donald Trump, whom he portrayed often on "Saturday Night Live." The 65-year-old has also mocked and ridiculed various conservatives and others on the right via his social media accounts.

Here's more about the Baldwin indictment:

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Prosecutors will recharge Alec Baldwin over lethal movie shooting after results from independent forensic test



Prosecutors in New Mexico said that they would file charges against actor Alec Baldwin again over the shooting incident that claimed the life of a cinematographer on the set of his "Rust" movie.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said that the charges against Baldwin would be brought before a Santa Fe grand jury in November.

The accidental shooting injured director Joel Souza and killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin was holding the gun when it went off, but he has claimed numerous times that he did not pull the trigger on the weapon.

Prosecutors say that an independent forensic test has found that Baldwin must have pulled the trigger on the revolver in order for it to go off.

“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” said prosecutors.

"We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for criminal trial," the statement continued.

Attorneys for Baldwin responded with a brief statement.

"It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution. We will answer any charges in court," the statement said.

The actor had been previously charged with involuntary manslaughter, but that charge was dropped in April. A weapons handler on the movie named Hannah Gutierrez is facing trial in 2024.

In October, Baldwin and the movie's producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Halyna Hutchins. They went on to finish filming the movie in May.

Here's more about the lethal 'Rust' shooting:

Prosecutors say Alec Baldwin has 'criminal culpability' in 'Rust' shooting | ABCNL www.youtube.com

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Breaking: All criminal charges against Alec Baldwin dropped



Sources close to the investigation into the lethal shooting on a movie set say that all criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin will be dropped soon.

The development was first reported by Deadline.

Baldwin had been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the October 2021 shooting on the set of "Rust," a movie he starred in and produced. Baldwin shot live rounds out of a gun during rehearsal of a scene and shot both the cinematographer and the director. The 42-year-old cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, died while the director suffered only superficial wounds.

Attorneys for Baldwin confirmed the report via a statement to Deadline.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” said Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.

In his first interview after the shooting on Dec. 2021, Baldwin claimed that he had never pulled the trigger of the gun.

"The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at someone and pull the trigger on them, never," said Baldwin at the time.

The actor settled a civil lawsuit alleging wrongful death by the family of the cinematographer in Oct. 2022. The armorer from the movie set is also facing charges, but those could be dismissed as well. Both she and Baldwin had pled not guilty to the charges.

Baldwin has earned the ire of many on the right after he used his social media platform to champion left-wing causes and bash conservatives. He also parodied former President Donald Trump for "Saturday Night Live" for the length of Trump's administration.

Here's more about the Baldwin shooting:

How Did Alec Baldwin Use DEADLY Prop Gun With Live Bullet? | The News & Why It Matters | Ep 890 www.youtube.com

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Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ producers settle with Halyna Hutchins’ family



The family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was shot and killed on the set of the movie "Rust" last year, has reached a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this year against the movie's producers, including Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin.

The settlements were announced in statements reported by Deadline. As part of the agreement, Halyna's widower, Matthew Hutchins, will executive-produce "Rust," which will reportedly return to production in January 2023 with the original cast.

“We have reached a settlement, subject to court approval, for our wrongful death case against the producers of Rust, including Alec Baldwin and Rust Movie Productions, LLC. As part of that settlement, our case will be dismissed,” Hutchins said Wednesday morning.

“The filming of Rust, which I will now executive-produce, will resume with all the original principal players on board in January 2023,” he added.

Halyna Hutchins, 42, was killed on Oct. 21, 2021, while preparing to film a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Authorities said the film crew was setting a scene when Baldwin pulled the trigger on an old-fashioned gun in his hands. The bullet went through Hutchins' torso and also hit film director Joel Souza. Hutchins died of her injury.

The wrongful death lawsuit accused Baldwin and the other film producers of reckless conduct and aggressive cost-cutting measures that endangered the crew and led to Hutchins' death.

But after the settlement, her husband said her death was a "tragic accident."

"I have no interest in engaging in recriminations or attribution of blame," Hutchins said. "All of us believe Halyna’s death was a terrible accident. I am grateful that the producers and the entertainment community have come together to pay tribute to Halyna’s final work.”

Rust Movie Productions LLC released a statement through its attorney on the settlement: "We are pleased the parties came together to resolve this matter, which, subject to court approval, marks an important step forward in celebrating Halyna’s life and honoring her work.”

In a statement, Souza remembered Hutchins as an "exceedingly talented, kind, creative, and a source of incredible positive energy."

"I only wish the world had gotten to know her under different circumstances, as it surely would have through her amazing work. In my own attempts to heal, any decision to return to finish directing the film could only make sense for me if it was done with the involvement of Matt and the Hutchins family. Though certainly bittersweet, I am pleased that together, we will now complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”

An attorney for Alec Baldwin added: "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”

Baldwin gave his own statement on Instagram Wednesday morning.

“We are pleased to announce today the settlement of the civil case filed on behalf of the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins," Baldwin said. "Throughout this difficult process, everyone has maintained the specific desire to do what is best for Halyna’s son. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the resolution of this tragic and painful situation.”

The Santa Fe sheriff's office has not charged anyone related to the shooting incident.

Alec Baldwin says he was following orders from Halyna Hutchins when handling gun, claims contract protects him from shooting death lawsuits: Docs



Alec Baldwin refused to take any responsibility for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the movie "Rust," according to a new filing. The Hollywood actor also argued that his contract protects him financially from any deaths that occurred during the filming of the movie in New Mexico.

New details about the "Rust" shooting death emerged through a court filing on Friday.

On Oct. 21, the movie crew were rehearsing a scene inside the church on Bonanza Creek Ranch with Baldwin as the character Harland Rust.

Content warning: Some viewers may find the video disturbing

WATCH \u2014\u00a0Lawyers for Halyna Hutchins released a video re-enacting the movie-set shooting showing when she was killed by Alec Baldwin\n\nhttps://nypost.com/2022/02/15/alec-baldwin-sued-by-cinematographer-halyna-hutchins-family/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/joRc7SkttM
— Jon Levine (@Jon Levine) 1644962303

The filing states that Hutchins "directed Baldwin to hold the gun higher, to a point where it was directed toward her."

"She was looking carefully at the monitor and then at Baldwin, and then back again, as she gave these instructions," court documents read, according to the New York Times. "In giving and following these instructions, Hutchins and Baldwin shared a core, vital belief: that the gun was 'cold' and contained no live rounds."

Baldwin asked Hutchins if she wanted him to pull back the hammer of the gun — as the script instructed — and she said, "Yes," according to the filing.

"Baldwin then pulled back the hammer, but not far enough to actually cock the gun," the filing continued. "When Baldwin let go of the hammer, the gun went off."

The Times noted that the filing described the "confusion and horror after the shooting, as Ms. Hutchins was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead."

Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, claimed that the actor was not responsible for the fatal shooting of the 42-year-old Hutchins.

"Someone is culpable for chambering the live round that led to this horrific tragedy, and it is someone other than Baldwin," Nikas wrote in the filing. "This is a rare instance when the system broke down, and someone should be held legally culpable for the tragic consequences. That person is not Alec Baldwin."

The filing asserts that "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed told Baldwin, "It was her job to check the gun — not his."

"An actor cannot rule that a gun is safe," the filing said. "That is the responsibility of other people on the set."

Nikas also claimed that Baldwin's contract absolved him of any financial repercussions from death during the filming of "Rust." Nikas said that there is a clause in Baldwin's contract with Rust Movie Productions L.L.C. that releases the actor from financial responsibility for legal fees or claims stemming from death on the set of the movie. The document names Rust Movie Productions L.L.C. and producer Ryan Smith as the respondents in the claim.

The filing also said Baldwin was to be paid $250,000 to act and produce the low-budget western. The docs claim that Baldwin returned $100,000 as an "investment" in the movie.

In the weeks following Hutchins' death, Baldwin attempted to persuade the cast and crew of the movie to finish filming to honor Hutchins, according to the filing. Nikas added that there was a plan to give the insurance payout and the film's profits to the Hutchins family.

The court docs revealed that Baldwin exchanged text messages with Matthew Hutchins, the widower of the slain cinematographer. The relationship started off promising with a breakfast in Santa Fe that included Hutchins' 9-year-old son.

"Hutchins hugged Baldwin and told him, 'I guess we’re going to go through this together,'" according to the filing.

However, the relationship took a turn last month when the family of Halyna Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and other producers for their involvement in the deadly shooting.

Mamie Mitchell — the script supervisor for the Western movie — filed a lawsuit against Baldwin in November. The suit claims that Baldwin acted "intentionally, without just cause or excuse" in the lethal shooting.

Also in November, the head of lighting for the movie filed a lawsuit against "Rust" producers, including Alec Baldwin. Key gaffer Serge Svetnoy claimed to have suffered "severe emotional distress" because of the accidental shooting on the set that "will haunt him forever."

On Saturday at the Boulder International Film Festival, Baldwin blasted people who have filed lawsuits against him and said they were only targeting him because he is wealthy.

"What you have is a certain group of people, litigants and whatever ... on whatever side who their attitude is, oh, the people who likely seem negligent have no money, and the people who have money are not negligent, but we're not gonna let that stop us from doing what we need to do in terms of litigation," Baldwin said. "So we have people that are suing people that they think are deep-pocket litigants."

The 63-year-old actor added, "Why sue people if you're not going to get money? That's what you're doing it for."

Husband of killed 'Rust' cinematographer 'so angry' with Alec Baldwin for denying responsibility of shooting, recalls moment he told son that his mother had died



The husband of the "Rust" cinematographer who was shot and killed during the filming of the Western film on Oct. 21 broke his silence in a new interview. Matt Hutchins revealed his frustrations with Alec Baldwin for not taking responsibility for the shooting death of his wife Halyna Hutchins. The mourning widower also recalled the heartbreaking moment that he told his young son that his mother had died.

In a "Today" interview that aired on Thursday, Hutchins – who traveled 2,000 miles to Halyna's native country of Ukraine to propose only three months after they met – revealed how he found out about his wife being shot on the set of the movie.

"A member of the production team told me that Halyna had been shot, and my heart sank right away," Hutchins told host Hoda Kotb. "It was completely inexplicable to me that it could’ve happened at that moment, and the first thing I thought, I sat down, and I said, 'I have to get my son,' because I had to be with him."

"And so I rushed home, and on the way decided that we had to go to Santa Fe," he said. "When I got through to the doctor and spoke with him, and he detailed exactly what had happened and that she didn't survive, I was heartbroken. And I knew that I had to tell my son right away when I saw him."

"I just had to be very direct and blunt because going to pick him up and go to the airport to go to Santa Fe, I didn’t want him to think that we were going to be seeing her and having fun together, and getting his hopes up," Hutchins said of his 9-year-old son, Andros.

"I told him, sitting together, that his mother had been shot and died. And, of course, he didn't believe it right away. He didn't want to believe it," he explained. "I think that that kind of news you just have to say multiple times so that it can be believed. And so he believed it, and we cried together then."

An emotional Hutchins added, "And every holiday [since], Christmas, New Year's, our anniversary, my birthday, Valentine's Day — I mean every holiday is difficult without her. For me and Andros."

Hutchins slammed Alec Baldwin for his ABC News interview in December, where he confidently proclaimed that he is not responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins, who was 42 years old.

In the interview, Baldwin told host George Stephanopoulos, "Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property. Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

When asked if he felt any guilt in the death of the cinematographer, Baldwin responded, "No. No. I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don't say that lightly."

Regarding Baldwin's remarks in December, Matthew said, "Watching him, I just felt so angry. I was just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then to not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her."

"Almost sounds like he was the victim," he continued. "Hearing him blame Halyna in the interview, and shift responsibility to others, and seeing him cry about it. I just feel like, 'Are we really supposed to feel bad about you, Mr. Baldwin?'"

"The idea that the person holding the gun and causing it to discharge is not responsible is absurd to me," Hutchins declared.

"But gun safety was not the only problem on that set," he added. "There were a number of industry standards that were not practiced, and there's multiple responsible parties."

The family of Halyna Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin and other producers for their involvement in the fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" on Feb. 15.

"Halyna Hutchins deserved to live, and the Defendants had the power to prevent her death if they had only held sacrosanct their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present, instead of cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule, and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violations," the lawsuit states.

During the interview, Hutchins was asked, "When do you miss her the most?" After letting out a sigh, Hutchins replied, "I saw a picture of her smiling the other day, and I just thought, 'She'll never smile again.' And that's really hard."

Husband Of 'Rust' Cinematographer Killed On Set Speaks Out www.youtube.com

Family of slain 'Rust' cinematographer sues Alec Baldwin, other producers for 'reckless conduct'



The family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer shot and killed during production of the movie "Rust" last year, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday against Alec Baldwin and other producers for their involvement in the fatal shooting.

Hutchins, 42, died on Oct. 21 while preparing to film a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The crew was reportedly lining up camera angles when an old-fashioned revolver held by Baldwin went off, sending a bullet through Hutchins's torso. The bullet would go on to strike the film's director, Joel Souza, as well, before lodging in his shoulder.

Hutchins is survived by her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and the couple's 9-year-old son, Andros.

In the lawsuit, the family accused Baldwin and others of reckless conduct and aggressive cost-cutting measures that endangered the crew and ultimately led to Hutchins' death.

"Halyna Hutchins deserved to live, and the Defendants had the power to prevent her death if they had only held sacrosanct their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present, instead of cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule, and ignoring numerous complaints of safety violations," the lawsuit states, according to the New York Times.

In a news conference held in Los Angeles, California, after filing the suit, attorney Brian Parish said the family is seeking "substantial" and "fair" compensation, noting Matthew "lost his long-term wife who was the love of his life, and his son has lost a mother."

"It is a young boy who will never have a mother," Panish said, according to Yahoo News. "We need to hold the people responsible that engaged in this cost-cutting and reckless behavior causing this senseless death... it never should have happened."

Panish would go on to say that many people are culpable in Hutchins's death, though he singled out Baldwin.

"Mr. Baldwin was the person holding the weapon that, but for him shooting it, she would not have died. So clearly, he has significant portion of liability but there are others and that's what this case is gonna be about," Panish said.

"Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it, Halyna was killed," Panish said. "The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back."

In the months following the tragic incident, Baldwin has expressed remorse but maintained that he was pointing the gun at Hutchins at her request and did not pull the trigger, a claim that has been backed up by "Rust" assistant director, Dave Halls. Baldwin has also maintained that the gun was declared "cold" moments before he took hold of it.

"Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property," Baldwin said in December. "Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

Critics, however, have suggested that guns don't just go off and that Baldwin and others on set appeared to have been breaking the most basic standards of gun safety. Reports surfaced claiming the crew had used firearms used in the movie for live-ammo target practices.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident, with a focus on determining how a live round made it onto the set and inside a gun that would be used in the movie.

Alec Baldwin feels no guilt and says he bears no responsibility in deadly 'Rust' shooting, but is bothered by George Clooney's criticism



Alec Baldwin gave an interview to ABC News – the first time the actor has done so since the fatal shooting on the set of his movie "Rust." Baldwin was the one handling the gun that went off and lethally shot "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. However, the actor declared in the ABC News interview that he isn't responsible for the shooting death of the 41-year-old mother.

Baldwin portrayed Harland Rust, an Old West outlaw who "sets out to rescue his 13-year-old grandson Lucas after he is sentenced to hang for an accidental murder and must go on the run from U.S. Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton 'Preacher' Lang," according to entertainment news site Screen Rant.

On the day of the deadly shooting, Baldwin claimed he spoke to Hutchins to go over the scene they would film that day for the low-budget Western movie, set in 1880s Kansas. In the scene, Baldwin's character is severely wounded but manages to draw his gun on two adversaries.

Baldwin said he was handed a .45 Colt revolver by Dave Halls — the film’s first assistant director. Halls allegedly told Baldwin, "This is a cold gun" — meaning the firearm was either empty or not loaded with live rounds.

Lisa Torraco, an attorney representing Halls, previously said it was not her client's responsibility to check the weapon for live ammunition and did not confirm whether Halls presented the gun to Baldwin.

"Whether or not he handed the firearm directly to Alec Baldwin at that moment or whether the armorer handed it directly to Alec Baldwin at that moment doesn't really matter because he didn't load it," Torraco said last month. "He's not responsible for checking it."

"What I can tell you is that expecting an assistant director to check a firearm is like telling the assistant director to check the camera angle or telling the assistant director to check sound or lighting," Torraco added. "That’s not the assistant director’s job. If he chooses to check the firearm because he wants to make sure that everyone is safe, he can do that."

Baldwin asserts that he was taking directions from Hutchins.

"This was a marking rehearsal," Baldwin told host George Stephanopoulos. "And [Hutchins] says to me, 'Hold the gun lower. Go to your right. OK, right there. All right, do that. Now show it a little bit lower.' And she's getting me to position the gun."

"She's guiding me through how she wants me to hold the gun for this angle," he continued. "I'm holding the gun where she told me to hold it, which ended up being aimed right below her armpit."

Baldwin said he needed to cock the gun, but not to fire it: "The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger."

The actor noted, "I cock the gun. I go, 'Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?' And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off. I let go of the hammer of the gun, the gun goes off."

The bullet struck both "Rust" director Joel Souza and Hutchins. Souza would recover from the gunshot wound, but Hutchins died on the day of the shooting, Oct. 21.

Baldwin recalled the shooting, "[Hutchins] goes down. I thought to myself, ‘Did she faint?' The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me till probably 45 minutes to an hour later."

"At the very end of my interview with the sheriff's department … they said to me, 'We regret to tell you that [Hutchins] didn't make it,'" Baldwin said. "They told me right then and there."

Baldwin contended that he didn't pull the trigger of the gun. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them."

Steve Wolf, a movie armorer with more than 30 years of experience, questioned Baldwin's claims that he didn't pull the trigger.

"On a scale of one to 10? Zero," Wolf told the Wrap. "You know, guns don’t go up by themselves, right? It’s an inanimate object. It has no batteries. It has no timer. It has no web connection. It’s not a smart piece of equipment. It’s a very reliable device that shoots when you press the trigger, and it doesn’t shoot when you don’t press the trigger."

The Santa Fe Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting and is waiting for results from the FBI on "how the gun could have been fired, whether that was just pulling back the hammer – which hits the firing pin – just pulling the trigger or both," according to Fox News.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told Fox News, "Guns don't just go off. So whatever needs to happen to manipulate the firearm, he did that and it was in his hands."

Stephanopoulos noted that experts say never to point a gun at anyone, no matter what.

Baldwin responded, "Unless the person is the cinematographer who's directing me at where to point the gun for her camera angle. That's exactly what happened."

Last month, fellow actor George Clooney questioned whether the fatal shooting could have been averted by Baldwin.

"Every single time I’m handed a gun on the set — every time — they hand me a gun, I look at it, I open it, I show it to the person I’m pointing it to, I show it to the crew,” Clooney said during an appearance on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast. "Every single take. You hand it back to the armor when you’re done."

"Maybe Alec did that — hopefully he did do that," Clooney added. "But the problem is dummies are tricky because they look like real [rounds]. They got a little tiny hole in the back [from which] somebody’s [removed] the gunpowder."

Baldwin was bothered by Clooney's commentary on the deadly shooting.

"There were a lot of people who felt it necessary to contribute some comment to the situation, which really didn't help the situation at all," Baldwin griped. "If your protocol is you checking the gun every time, well, good for you. Good for you."

"My protocol was to trust the person that had the job," he scoffed. "And it worked up until this point."

Baldwin confidently proclaimed that he is not responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins.

"Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property," Baldwin said. "Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

Stephanopoulos asked Baldwin if he feels guilt in the tragic situation.

"No. No,” Baldwin replied. "I might have killed myself if I thought I was responsible, and I don't say that lightly."

The actor says the deadly incident has weighed on him.

"I have dreams about this constantly now," he said. "I go through my day, and I make it through the day. Then I collapse at the end of the day. Emotionally, I collapse."

Baldwin admitted his Hollywood career could be over, but alleges, "I couldn't give a s**t about my career any more."

He said this is the worst thing that's ever happened to him, adding, "Because I think back, and I think of what could I have done?"

After the shooting, Baldwin met with Hutchins’ widower, Matthew Hutchins, and his 9-year-old son he shared with Halyna.

"I didn't know what to say," Baldwin revealed. "[Matthew] hugged [me] and he goes, like, 'I suppose you and I are going to go through this together,' he said. And I thought, 'Well, not as much as you are.'"

Baldwin has been named in two civil lawsuits over the shooting, including one that argued the actor "played Russian roulette" by the way he handled the firearm.

Alec Baldwin: Unscripted l PART 1 www.youtube.com

In first interview since lethal on-set shooting, Alec Baldwin claims he didn't pull the trigger



Hollywood star Alec Baldwin claimed that he didn't pull the trigger in his first interview since the tragic on-set shooting in October.

Baldwin made the comments during an emotional interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

"The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at someone and pull the trigger on them, never," said Baldwin.

The accidental shooting resulted in the death of 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was getting ready to film a scene with Baldwin at the time. The actor reportedly pointed the gun at her and the camera and she was shot in the stomach. 48-year-old director Joel Souza was also wounded in the incident at a movie set near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The full interview will be broadcast on Wednesday evening, but snippets were released ahead of airing.

"How did a real bullet get on that set?" asked Stephanopoulos at one point.

"I have no idea!" interrupted Baldwin. "Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property."

In another snippet, Baldwin jumps to say that the incident was the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

In November, an attorney representing Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for the movie, said they were investigating the possibility that someone purposely sabotaged the set.

"I believe that somebody who would do that would want to sabotage the set, want to prove a point, want to say that they're disgruntled, they're unhappy," said attorney Jason Bowles.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies disputed that possibility.

"I know that some defense attorneys have come up with conspiracy theories and have used the word sabotage," Carmack-Altwies said. "We do not have any proof."

The movie had been beset by problems with the unionized crew, some of whom had walked off just hours before the shooting. They claimed that the movie was underfunded and that producers, including Baldwin, had cut corners on safety and security.

Here's more about Baldwin's claims:

Alec Baldwin Exclusive: 'The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger.' | ABC Newswww.youtube.com