NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin told ABC's George Stephanopoulos in an interview airing Thursday that he did not pull the trigger on a prop gun he was holding on a New Mexico film set when it went off, killing a cinematographer.
"I didn't pull the trigger," Baldwin said. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never."
It is Baldwin's first sitdown interview since the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of the western film "Rust." Authorities have said Baldwin was told the gun was safe to handle but continue to investigate how a live round ended up in the weapon.
EXCLUSIVE: "The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger," Alec Baldwin tells @GStephanopoulos in first interview since fatal shooting on set of "Rust."
Watch TOMORROW at 8pm ET on @ABC and stream later on @Hulu. https://t.co/u7L88vylra pic.twitter.com/bJsssJoAJq
— ABC News (@ABC) December 1, 2021
ABC released a clip Wednesday that shows Baldwin breaking down in tears while describing Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on the set. Director Joel Souza was also wounded.
He said in response to a question about how a live round ended up on the set: "I have no idea. "Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property."
The interview will air as part of an hourlong special on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday and stream on Hulu later that evening.
READ MORE: Crew member sues Alec Baldwin, others over 'Rust' shooting
Investigators have described "some complacency" in how weapons were handled on the "Rust" set. They have said it is too soon to determine whether charges will be filed, amid independent civil lawsuits concerning liability in the fatal shooting.
ABC said a two-hour special "20/20" next week will examine the investigation into the shooting in more depth.
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