Alec Baldwin: ‘I didn’t pull the trigger’

Actor Alec Baldwin has spoken for the first time since the shooting which killed a cinematographer on the set of the film, Rust

Alec Baldwin says he “didn’t pull the trigger” of the gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film, Rust.

The actor, speaking for the first time about the incident with ABC News America, made the claim as he spoke to reporter George Stephanopoulos

“I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never,”

The interview was recorded on Tuesday, and is due to be broadcast in the US on Thursday evening.

“I’ve done thousands of interviews in the last 20 years at ABC,” he said. “This was the most intense I’ve ever experienced”

ABC’s Stephanopoulos described their 80-minute discussion as “raw” and “intense, as he spoke to the 63-year-old actor about the incident.

The journalist described Baldwin as “devastated” yet “very candid” and “forthcoming” during a preview of the interview on Good Morning America on Wednesday.

Alec Baldwin is best-known for his performances in films like Cat in the Hat, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Hunt For Red October, as well as his well known impersonations of former US President Donald Trump on US sketch show Saturday Night Live.

The investigation into the on-set shooting continues

Police continue to comb through evidence as they probe how the incident occurred. Authorities say Baldwin was told the gun was safe to handle, but they continue to investigate how a live round ended up in the weapon, before it was discharged.

Mr Baldwin was asked during his interview with Stephanopoulos how a live round ended up on the set.

“I have no idea,” the actor said.

“Someone put a live bullet in a gun — a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”

Investigators have described “some complacency” into exactly how weapons were handled on the set.

Authorities have stated that it is still ‘too soon’ to determine whether charges will be filed, amid independent civil lawsuits concerning liability in the fatal shooting.