Video Shows Alec Baldwin's Finger on Trigger of Gun That Killed Cinematographer

By Abby Liebing April 26, 2022 at 3:10pm

As police continue to look into the events surrounding the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of Alec Baldwin’s movie “Rust,” video footage has been released from the incident.

Along with crime scene photos and witness interviews, Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza released footage of Baldwin practicing with a gun just before the fatal shooting, KRQE News reported.

Bodycam footage showing first responders trying to save Hutchins was also released, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A news reporter from Dallas tweeted out the footage of Baldwin practicing the scene with a gun, allegedly the one that ended up killing Hutchins.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office has released evidence related to the deadly shooting on “Rust” movie set in New Mexico last year. Included is this clip of the scene where the film’s cinematographer was killed by a gun in Alec Baldwin’s hands pic.twitter.com/enNq4sJLo7

— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) April 25, 2022

In the footage of Baldwin practicing for the scene, it does appear that he might have pulled the trigger.

At the very least, the video does show clearly that his finger was on the trigger during practice.

However, Baldwin has always claimed that he did not pull the trigger of the gun that went off and killed Hutchins.

Do you think that Baldwin should face criminal charges?

“The trigger wasn’t pulled, I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview shortly after the event, NPR reported.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Mendoza said the investigation into the shooting “remains open and ongoing,” according to BBC.

Mendoza said that firearms forensics, fingerprint analysis, analysis of Baldwin’s phone data and a report from the medical examiner are still outstanding evidence that has to be looked into.

“Once these investigative components are provided to the sheriff’s office, we will be able to complete the investigation to forward it to the Santa Fe District Attorney for review,” Sheriff Mendoza said.

The decision about whether to file criminal charges or not will depend on the forensic work that still remains, the police said.

Back in October when the incident happened, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said that currently, nothing is off the table.

“All options are on the table. No one has been ruled out at this point,” Altwies said, MSN News reported.

Already, the production company for the movie has been fined over $136,000 by New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, KRQE News reported.

Safety officials outlined in a report that there was a “plain indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices and take corrective action,” according to the BBC.

“Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety,” Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney said in a statement, CBS News reported. “This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe.”

However, the company said it disagreed with these findings and would appeal the decision.

Submit a Correction →