Alec Baldwin Says He 'Didn't Pull The Trigger' In 'Rust' Shooting

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Actor Alec Baldwin said he had "no idea" how a live bullet got into the firearm used during an accidental fatal shooting on the set of his film Rust, but claimed he "didn't pull the trigger" in a tease for an upcoming exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Thursday (December 2).

"I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never," Baldwin said in a video shared by ABC News on Wednesday (December 1) for the one-hour primetime special event..

"Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property," the actor added.

Baldwin also addressed his initial reaction to the deadly shooting, which killed director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, and injured director, Joel Souza, 48, in October.

"I think back and I think of what could I have done?" Baldwin said. "She was someone who was loved by everyone who worked with [her] and liked by everyone who worked with [her], and admired... I mean, even now I find it hard to believe that [she's gone]. It doesn't seem real to me."

Last month, the New York Times reported the gun involved in the shooting was left unattended for two hours prior to accident taking place.

Jason Bowles, an attorney representing Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told the Times the gun was left on a tray for about two hours after Gutierrez-Reed loaded it with six dummy rounds, who took the ammunition from a box labeled "dummies," which are rounds that contain no gunpowder and are used to resemble bullets during filming.

Gutierrez-Reed's other attorney, Robert Gorence, said the armorer loaded three firearms set to be used later during the filming session, including the .45 Long Colt used by Baldwin, and left the guns encased in socks to prevent anyone who happened to pass by from handling them before going on a lunch break and leaving the weapons unattended.

A two-hour episode 20/20 chronicling the events leading up to the deadly on-set Rust shooting and the ongoing investigation will air next Friday (December 10) at 9:01 p.m. ET.


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