Baldwin Claims He “Never Pulled the Trigger” in Fatal “Rust” Shooting

In a stunning interview – his first since the incident — Alec Baldwin claims that he “never pulled the trigger” on the gun that discharged a real bullet, injuring director Joel Souza and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

A tearful Baldwin told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos he has “no idea” how the live bullet ended up in the firearm.

“The trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin said in the interview.

“I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never,” he said.

Authorities have previously said Baldwin was holding the prop gun while rehearsing a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe when it accidentally discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and seriously wounding director Joel Souza.

“Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property,” Baldwin said in the ABC interview.

At one point during the hour-long interview, Baldwin could be seen sobbing and placing his head in his hands.

Asked if the film set shooting was the worst thing that has ever happened to him, the Hollywood star said, “Yes.”

Baldwin’s claims are in direct contrast with what Mamie Mitchell, the film’s script supervisor, stated in a lawsuit filed last month. She said the actor “intentionally … cocked and fired” the gun.

However, the film’s first assistant director (AD) backs Baldwin’s claims. Assistant director Dave Halls – who handed the gun to Baldwin — has always maintained that Baldwin’s “finger was never in the trigger guard” when their cinematographer was killed Oct. 21 on the New Mexico set, his attorney, Lisa Torraco, told ABC News.

“Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger,” Torraco insisted in the interview on “Good Morning America.” 

“The entire time, Baldwin had his finger outside the trigger guard, parallel to the barrel. [Halls] told me since day one that he thought it was a misfire,” Torraco said.

“It was a pure accident — freak, awful accident [that] unfortunately killed somebody.”

Baldwin’s emotional interview comes after a new search warrant approved by a judge on revealed that the live round may have been left in the gun from a previous film production.

Investigators revealed the developments in the case as they sought permission to search PDQ Arm & Prop, LLC — an ammunition store in an Albuquerque strip mall that supplied the ill-fated Western with props.

No charges have been brought in the film set shooting, but authorities haven’t yet ruled them out.

During the hour-long interview with Stephanopoulos, Baldwin also paid tribute to the slain cinematographer, saying it “doesn’t seem real” that Hutchins is dead.

“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…,” he said.

“I mean, even now, I find it hard to believe that [she’s gone]. It doesn’t seem real to me.”