Alec Baldwin must have pulled the trigger to fire the gun that fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of the movie Rust, according to an FBI forensic report released Friday.
The report comes 10 months after the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western movie, and the conclusions contradict claims from Baldwin last year when he said he did not pull the trigger. Instead, the actor said he believed he was handling a gun that did not have live ammunition when the gun went off, killing Hutchins and injuring one of the film’s directors.
ALEC BALDWIN ATTEMPTS TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM BLAME FOR RUST SHOOTING: FILING
The firearm used in the shooting, a .45 Colt caliber F.lli Pietta single-action revolver, could not have been fired in an accidental discharge without the trigger being pulled, the FBI determined in a report obtained by ABC News.
No charges have been made in Hutchinson’s death, and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator has classified the death as an accident, according to the outlet.
Baldwin said in an Instagram video posted Jan. 8 that the claims he was not complying with authorities were “bulls***” and “a lie.” He insisted the process “takes time” and involves cooperation with the authorities where he lives.
Baldwin and the Rust production crew are facing several lawsuits over the shooting, including one from Hutchins’s family that alleges emotional and physical harm from the incident. Baldwin’s lawyers attempted to dismiss the case, noting that New Mexico labor law should handle the matter rather than the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, also filed a suit against the ammunition supplier in January, alleging the company had created “dangerous conditions” on set due to mishandling the live rounds.
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The actor has attempted to distance himself from the shooting in recent months, telling ABC News in an interview it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. Law enforcement officials are investigating the incident, waiting on phone records from Baldwin.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said Baldwin did not give his phone to authorities when they issued a warrant on Dec. 16, leading the office to reach out to the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office. On Dec. 20, the sheriff’s office was advised that the district attorney’s office was in negotiations with Baldwin’s attorney “to obtain consent to retrieve the phone and its contents.”
