Yahoo Finance Rust Assistant Director Says Alec Baldwin Did Not Pull Trigger, Thinks Fatal Shooting Was 'Misfire'
Jim Spellman/Getty Images Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin did not pull the trigger on the gun that discharged and fatally wounded cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on set of the movie Rust, an attorney for assistant director Dave Halls claims.
On Oct. 21, while filming on location at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, actor/producer Baldwin, 63, was holding the gun that shot and killed 42-year-old Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. An investigation is currently underway as authorities determine how live rounds ended up on the film set.
In an ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos set to air Thursday night, Baldwin says: "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." (The preview for the interview didn't include Baldwin's explanation as to how the shot was fired from the gun.)
Baldwin also said he had "no idea" how a bullet made its way into a gun that was intended to be a prop on the set of the Western film.
Now, Halls' attorney Lisa Torraco told Good Morning America that the assistant director has said the same thing all along.
"The entire time, Baldwin had his finger outside the trigger guard, parallel to the barrel. [Halls] told me since day one he thought it was a misfire," Torraco said Thursday. "And until Alec said that, it was just really hard to believe. But Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger."
RELATED: Hilaria Baldwin Shares Photo with Husband Alec Ahead of His First Interview After Rust Shooting
EXCLUSIVE: The owner of a prop arsenal that provided guns and ammunition to the “Rust” movie set speaks out. @KayleeHartung reports. https://t.co/QRWfr3VCVd pic.twitter.com/w8F4MnH3xi
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 2, 2021
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Halls previously broke his silence about the on-set tragedy. He said in a statement obtained by the New York Post last month, "Halyna Hutchins was not just one of the most talented people I've worked with, but also a friend."
He continued, "I'm shocked and saddened by her death. It's my hope that this tragedy prompts the industry to reevaluate its values and practices to ensure no one is harmed through the creative process again."
The assistant director added he was "overwhelmed by the love and support" and said his "thoughts are with all who knew and loved Halyna."
Halls did not address the details of the incident in his statement — including that he yelled "cold gun" before the firearm that killed Hutchins was handed to Alec Baldwin, indicating that there were no live rounds in the gun, according to an affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE. An updated search warrant from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office revealed Halls allegedly admitted to authorities that there was a lapse in gun safety protocol on set leading up to the incident.
Dave Halls Facebook Dave Halls
On Good Morning America on Wednesday, Stephanopoulos, 60, said the interview (recorded on Tuesday afternoon) is the "most intense" he has done in his career.
"It is so raw. I mean, as you can imagine he's devastated. But he was also very candid, he was very forthcoming, he answered every question. He talked about Halyna Hutchins, talked about meeting with her family as well," said Stephanopoulos. "He went through, in detail, what happened on set that day. I have to tell you I was surprised in many places over the course of that hour and 20 minutes that we sat down yesterday."
Baldwin's ABC interview airs Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and will begin streaming later that evening on Hulu.
Next week, a two-hour 20/20 special will delve into the events ahead of the shooting on Rust and the investigations. The episode will air on Friday, Dec. 10 at 9:01 p.m. ET on ABC and be available to stream on Hulu the next day.
