Alec Baldwin sat down ABC News reporter George Stephanopoulos on Dec 2, his first interview since the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He claims he never actually pulled the trigger.
Source: Sky News
42-year-old cinematographer Hutchins was shot and killed on Oct 21 after Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of the western movie called “Rust.” According to Time, Baldwin fired the prop gun at the camera that Hutchins was holding while rehearsing a scene. The gun was given to Baldwin by assistant director Dave Halls, who shouted “cold-gun,” signifying that the gun was not loaded with live rounds. Halls’ lawyer Lisa Toracco told ABC News that Halls believes that Baldwin did not put his finger on the trigger.
Baldwin claims that he cocked the gun and released the hammer, never actually firing the gun. Halls backs this claim, according to ABC News.
CNN interviewed Steve Wolf, a theatrical firearms safety expert about Baldwin’s story, saying that it is “not plausible,” even demonstrating how the firearm Baldwin was using works during the interview.
“When you pull the hammer back, which is an intentional act — click, click, click, click — now the hammer is set,” said Wolf, demonstrating the use of a single-action revolver. “When you pull the hammer back and let go…the hammer doesn’t go anywhere. When you press the trigger…it takes very little to press the trigger there.”
Many wonder about the validity of Baldwin and Halls’ claim that the trigger was never pulled. According to the LA Times, there were already two misfires on set a week prior. The same morning of the shooting, 6 crew members walked off of the set due to the unsafe working conditions. Time reported that “long hours,” “withheld pay,” and gun safety issues were some of the conditions the crew members were protesting.
After Baldwin’s interview with his account of events, many wonder about the sincerity of his apology and the validity of his statement, as evidence points to the scenario being highly implausible.
Current Issues In Media Management 