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Baldwin interview: 'I didnt pull the trigger'

posted 3 years ago by bozo_500 (12469)
54 replies | jump to latest

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10262871/Alec-Baldwin-sit-intense-revealing-prime-time-interview-Rust-shooting.html

ABC's George Stephanopoulos held an 'intense' interview with Alec Baldwin about the deadly shooting on Rust set

In it, he revealed that he never pulled the trigger on the gun that shot and killed Halyna Hutchins, but said it went off inexplicably after he picked it up

'The trigger wasn't pulled, I didn't pull the trigger,' he said. 'I would never point a gun at anyone at point a trigger at them, never'

It's not yet known why the weapon was loaded with a real bullet

'Someone put a live bullet in the gun - a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property,' Baldwin said

Baldwin told the host that the shooting was 'the worst thing that ever happened to me'

Stephanopoulos said the actor was 'devastated' but 'forthcoming'

Baldwin went into detail about the day he accidentally shot dead the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza

It comes as Baldwin and the Rust production face multiple lawsuits from crew members who described a lack of safety at the New Mexico film set

Investigators continue to probe the accident and now believe a homemade bullet may have made its way on set and into Baldwin's pistol

[–] elcamino (15540) 3 years ago

Yawn to the has been. Lets move on now.

[–] B1cKsurN (15372) 3 years ago

Yeah, how come he isn't in a cell? Any of us would be. This 'rules for thee not for me' shit is getting fucking tiring.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Oh yes, the magic gun defense... I didn't point the gun at anyone, I didn't pull the trigger, it did it all by itself. Does anyone actually believe this horse shit? I'm sure this same story was told by countless idiots sitting in prison right now... hopefully Alec will soon join them.

[–] SgtPinback (18) 3 years ago

It's probably BS, but depending on the firearm in question it may not need to be "Magic".

The weapon in question was a "Replica" Colt Single Action Army. I happen to own one of these myself, a Uberti "Cattleman".

Depending on how accurate the replica is, it can have the same flaw that the original Colt had, the firing pin being situated in the hammer. My Uberti has this as part of the design. It's more accurate to the original pistol, but less safe.

If you load six in a Colt designed with the pin in the hammer, you're resting the hammer on the primer of a live round. That can, and sometimes does result in accidental discharge without manipulation of the trigger.

Common issue in the 19th century were Colts going off and shooting cowboys in the leg because it was bouncing around while riding on a horse.

This is why when not actively shooting you load a Colt with 5, and rest the hammer on an empty dead cylinder.

Now, most modern Colt replicas don't have this flaw. Good example is the Ruger Vaquero which outwardly is identical to a Colt SAA but instead used a transfer bar with a traditional safety.

But, again, depends on the nature of the firearm. If it was an Uberti or something made similar to the Colt and it was loaded hot with 6 rounds and the hammer was resting on the primer, it's possible, but unlikely, it discharged without a trigger pull.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Even in the remote chance he didn't pull the trigger, he still pointed the gun at her which is still a crime in New Mexico. Also as you state it shot when they were bouncing the gun on horse back... for that to have happened with him it wasn't just harmlessly resting on his lap it he would have been playing with it and slinging it around, which a gain would be negligence on his part.

Also according to police records it was a Pietta 1873 revolver.

[–] SgtPinback (18) 3 years ago

Pietta? Yeah, virtually no chance of an accidental discharge then.

The Pietta is like the Ruger, it has a transfer bar and a safety.

Not only will it not accidently discharge, as a single action he'd have to pull the hammer back to the full cock to fire.

Heck, I'm a member of the Single Action Shooting Society and I know more people with issues with Pietta's not firing than ever hearing of an accidental discharge.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Interesting, so a Pietta is a true single action. I figured it must have been a double action if those are only single actions then he would have taken yet another deliberate step. I boggles the mind that he isn't already facing charges.

[–] SgtPinback (18) 3 years ago

Yes, it's 100% single action. The hammer has to be drawn two steps to fire, and I can tell you from experience the pull on those Italian pistols is very noticeable and like clockwork. It can be done accidently I suppose, maybe if you're storing it improperly loaded or fidgeting with it, but it'd be hard to do and the sound of the action is very audible and clear.

Only difference between a Pietta and the original is its floating pin transfer bar system which is included to actually prevent accidental discharges.

It's actually a selling point of the pistol. "Load Six" is the phrase they use in ads.

I can't comprehend how he could discharge it accidently without at least drawing it to the full cock.

Now, it can accidently fire without a trigger pull at full cock and it's something I've seen, just not with a Colt SAA replica and that's if the spring that holds the hammer in place is either damaged or can't engage. I've seen fouling cause this in black powder rifles that weren't cleaned properly, or were rusted in rain. In that case one could pull the hammer to full cock and when they release the hammer it can fail to lock and fire.

That's the only scenario where I'd see a round go without trigger.

Regardless, I agree, the shooter is always responsible. I've done reenacting, SAA shooting and Cowboy action for more than a decade and I teach safety to newcomers. First thing we always do, have someone else verify you load with blanks, never take a "cold" gun without checking it yourself with a partner to confirm, and never, ever point the pistol directly at someone even if it's cold and even if you're in a combat scenario.

Always treat the pistol like it's got a live round even if you 100% know it doesn't, because even blanks can kill and you never know if something snuck through.

No sympathy for a supposed veteran actor. If I saw him point that pistol at anyone at an event I was at I'd tackle him on the spot.

[–] CraigC (7161) 3 years ago

Wrong. Rugers are not Colt replicas. Piettas are not like Rugers and do not have transfer bars. In fact, the current Pietta SAA is closer to the original lockwork than Uberti, with their new retractable firing pin nonsense. None of which matters because he didn't drop the damned thing. It wasn't an accident. It was negligence. He may think it went off by itself but that's not what happened. Reed had been pushing for more training for the actors and production over-ruled it. I'd be money Baldwin was at the center of that.

[–] SgtPinback (18) 3 years ago

I've been out a while, but the Pietta when I was in had a transfer bar. I was looking into them earlier and saw mention of them using a new pin system, but haven't seen any of the new ones.

I wouldn't truly call a Vaquero a replica either. "Inspired by" more like it. There's a reason I handled one and never picked up another.

And yeah, I heard Uberti dropped the authentic hammer. I got mine in 2010 and I'm glad I did.

But, yeah, I agree. None of that matters and it's negligence.

[–] CraigC (7161) 3 years ago

Sorry, that came off a little gruff. I really shouldn't argue with liberals and then talk about guns without cooling off first.

I think the guns they make for heritage have transfer bars. Uberti has also made them with transfer bars in the form of the Beretta Stampede.

The Rugers do look like SAA's but their lockwork is completely different. For me, they don't scratch that Colt itch.

[–] SgtPinback (18) 3 years ago

No worries. Like I say, I haven't been active in the hobby for a while and I know they're continually updating things.

And agreed on the Ruger. I only mentioned it because a lot of guys wanting to get into Cowboy Living History used to show up with those, simply because of their availability. My outfit didn't allow them in our standards, but they rarely had issues finding other groups that'd take them in.

[–] CraigC (7161) 3 years ago

You also see the Rugers in some low budget westerns but luckily, not too often. I've even seen Blackhawks in a couple. When you know the difference, it's hard to overlook.

[–] Bubbathegut (17272) 3 years ago

Do replica guns still have firing pins though?

[–] CraigC (7161) 3 years ago

They're not replicas in the sense of movie props or dummies. They're fully functioning firearms, made as close to the original Colt pattern as possible, so as to be indistinguishable from a distance. They have to have firing pins for the blanks to work.

[–] BillySlater (4125) 3 years ago

@sgtpinback: What an insightful post! Thanks.

[–] MaximRecoil (4206) 3 years ago

"If you load six in a Colt designed with the pin in the hammer, you're resting the hammer on the primer of a live round. That can, and sometimes does result in accidental discharge without manipulation of the trigger."

Not unless the hammer is struck, such as if the gun is dropped and it lands on the hammer, or you pick up a hammer and hit the gun's hammer with it. That's completely irrelevant to the Baldwin incident.

"Common issue in the 19th century were Colts going off and shooting cowboys in the leg because it was bouncing around while riding on a horse."

Yeah, right. There may have been isolated incidents like that (and it would require more than just bouncing in a holster; something would have to hit the hammer), but it certainly wasn't common. People knew to either use the half-cock notch or keep an empty chamber under the hammer. The half-cock notch isn't completely safe like an empty chamber is, but it's far safer than resting the hammer / firing pin on a primer, since it couldn't fire without hitting the hammer with enough force to break the sear portion of the trigger.

[–] MartyDeniro (4092) 3 years ago

https://nypost.com/2021/12/01/alec-baldwin-weeps-in-first-interview-since-rust-set-shooting/

I didn't see the interview, but I tend to think he's lying. His legal team knows that he'd be partially culpable if he did break from that safety protocol. There's no footage, so it's just his word vs. anyone who would've happened to be staring at his trigger finger for some reason.

[–] davebuffalo (3102) 3 years ago

Yeah notice that the "I didn't pull the trigger" defense is only raised weeks later, after he's been in consultation with lawyers for probably many hours on how he's going to "act" in interviews.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

They prolly gambled that it's a convincing argument for a potential jury of his peers, despite the absurdity of it.

[–] davebuffalo (3102) 3 years ago

Other actors have come forward to say that they personally examine every gun they're using, to make sure it contains blanks. Baldwin obviously didn't, so he could be found guilty of negligence resulting in manslaughter. Or in this case, womanslaughter.

So better to say that he never even fired the gun! No need to check it if he's not even firing it!

As much as liberals despise "white privilege", they're going to be glad in this case that it keeps their man Alec out of prison.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

At first I thought he was a complete idiot for doing an interview and must have incompetent lawyers if the allowed it to happen... but then I thought, no this is probably being done at the lawyers direction because his lawyers know that when he finally goes on trial for involuntary manslaughter he will not be able to take the stand and tell his bullshit story without facing cross examination... but if the get his golfing buddy to set up some sham interview with canned questions where Baldwin has scripted answers, he could influence the potential jurors. They only need to get one idiot in Santa Fe on the jury that's seen the ridiculous lies and is dumb enough to belief it and boom, hung jury or not guilty verdict.

[–] TMC-4 (19512) 3 years ago

Alec Baldwin recalls Rust shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins: "I thought to myself, 'Did she faint?'"

https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-responsible/story?id=81490389

On ABC News' Thursday primetime special, Alec Baldwin: Unscripted, Baldwin described to George Stephanopoulos the Oct. 21 on-set shooting incident that killed Hutchins. Baldwin said he and Hutchins discussed the scene, in which his character is cornered and badly wounded and draws his weapon on two foes, beforehand. To get the shot, Baldwin said he needed to cock the gun, but not fire it: “The trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger," he said. Baldwin said of holding the gun while talking to Hutchins: “I cock the gun. I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And then I let go of the hammer of the gun, and the gun goes off. I let go of the hammer of the gun, the gun goes off.” “So, you never pulled the trigger?” Stephanopoulos asked. “No, no, no, no, no,” Baldwin responded. “I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them.” Baldwin said after the loud noise and Hutchins going down, "I thought to myself, ‘Did she faint?’ The notion that there was a live round in that gun did not dawn on me till probably 45 minutes to an hour later.” Baldwin added: "Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property. Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can't say who that is, but I know it's not me."

[–] elcamino (15540) 3 years ago

Did they say anything about Megan Fox in the interview?

[–] jewoogle (2269) 3 years ago

this guy is so full of shit. he needs to fry!! give him the electric chair for killing that poor mother!!!!!

[–] TMC-4 (19512) 3 years ago

Alec Baldwin says he DOESN'T feel guilty about accidentally shooting cinematographer dead and says someone else is responsible for tragedy

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10269889/Alec-Baldwin-sobs-ABC-interview-says-Halyna-Hutchins-assumed-gun-empty.html

[–] davebuffalo (3102) 3 years ago

He doesn't want to go on record saying he "feels" guilty, because then that equates to him BEING guilty. But of course any human being with a heart would "feel" guilty; she wouldn't be dead if it weren't for him. His action caused her death. Of course he feels GUILTY!.

He's been well-coached by his extensive legal team. This interview was BS propaganda. He should have stuck to his original reply in the roadside Vermont interview, "I'm not allowed to comment an active investigation".

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2653) 3 years ago

There we have it folks, a ghost pulled the trigger. No blame for Alec.

[–] Galactus03 (4323) 3 years ago

Well the assistant director is backing him up. All you Arm Chaor generals need to STFU. 😂😂😂

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2653) 3 years ago

Having another moron "back him up" with a ridiculous claim doesn't exactly do anything to help him out lol. He still pointed a firearm at someone and pulled the trigger. Alec needs to own those two facts.

[–] Galactus03 (4323) 3 years ago

He still wont get the punishment all trump fans want....😂

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2653) 3 years ago

I'm struggling to see why people are trying to frame this as a political issue. Be you democrat or republican, Alec is a fucking moron and took someone's life.

[–] Galactus03 (4323) 3 years ago

Because most demonizing him before proof are most definitely republican and trump fans. Not all but most....

[–] ProgsReturn (1834) 3 years ago

Rather like the left demonizing Rittenhouse despite him being cleared of all charges.

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2653) 3 years ago

The left need those double standards otherwise they wouldn't have any standards at all.

[–] RogueDemonHunter (2653) 3 years ago

I suppose there is an argument that the left are ignorant about firearms handling and safety so they're incapable of understanding how badly Alec fucked up. Whereas people on the right are more likely to be educated on safe firearms handling and have respect for them.

That said, I still think this incident transcends politics. Alec is a veteran actor. He should know better than to do what he did and that is enough for people on both sides to call him out. There is simply no escaping that he pointed a firearm at someone and pulled the trigger. That is inexcusable. Regardless of whether he had any duty to check it himself or take the word of anyone else.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Even if he is prosecuted for the crime that applies under New Mexico law and is found guilty he still will not be punished properly the maximum sentence for what he did is 18 months. Unless they can show intent the worst he faces is involuntary manslaughter which is a fourth degree felony with a max prison time of 18 months... The only upside is that for a turd like him even a month of being pass around like a cheap whore in a prison will seem like a lifetime. Who knows, getting used and abused like a cheap whore might make a new man out of him - or woman.

[–] Gubbio (3893) 3 years ago

Playing the sympathy card. 🙄

[–] Gd5150 (11247) 3 years ago

Wow bringing in the big guns to circle the wagons around their fellow Democrat shithead. Clinton campaign manager and war room general, George Steffanopolis.

[–] davebuffalo (3102) 3 years ago

Yeah exactly! Try putting him in front of Hannity instead!

[–] TMC-4 (19512) 3 years ago

Did Alec incriminate himself in that ABC interview? He said that he cocked the gun and held back the hammer. He then released the hammer and the gun went off.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16935746/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-lies-triggered-pulled/

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

If it was a high school kid that did this and admitted it when the gun they were playing with killed someone they would already be in jail facing charges. Baldwin was holding a gun, illegally aiming it at a person (New Mexico law makes it illegal to point a gun at someone) and he pulls the hammer back... whether he pulled the trigger or not, he dropped the hammer and killed the person he was illegally pointing the gun at. That's a crime.