Alec Baldwin expects no charges over fatal 'Rust' film set accident

He calls incident 'tragic' as investigations continue

Alec Baldwin outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico, after he was questioned about a shooting on the set of the film 'Rust', which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. AP

A distraught Alec Baldwin lingers in the car park outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. AP

The entrance to the film set of 'Rust'. Reuters

The entrance to the Bonanza Creek Ranch used for film shoots. AP

A vehicle from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office exiting the set of 'Rust'. Reuters

Media crews outside the gate of the film set of 'Rust'. Reuters

Director of photography Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust'. AP

Journalists outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico. AP

Security guards block the Bonanza Creek Ranch. AP

The Bonanza Creek Ranch where 'Rust' was being filmed, one day after the incident. Photo: Roberto E Rosales / Albuquerque Journal

A sign points to the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe. AFP

A security guard speaks with a compliance officer from the State of New Mexico at the Bonanza Creek Ranch where 'Rust' was being filmed. AFP

Security guards at the entrance of the 'Rust' film set. AP

A vigil in Albuquerque, New Mexico, held in the honour of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. AP

A candle bearing Halyna Hutchins's name is placed among others during a vigil in her honour. AP

A large crowd of movie industry workers and New Mexico residents attend the candlelight vigil. AP

New Mexico residents at the vigil. AP

Members of the local film community mourn the loss of Halyna Hutchins. Reuters

Film industry worker Jake Extine pays his respects. AP

A sign calling for workplace safety at the vigil. Reuters

People light candles to honour Halyna Hutchins. AP

Alec Baldwin said he does not believe anyone will be criminally charged over the fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust, telling CNN he has hired a private investigator to assess culpability for the tragedy.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after being hit by a live round that came from a gun Baldwin was holding as he rehearsed on the New Mexico set of the low-budget film last October.

A criminal investigation into the shooting is ongoing and prosecutors have not yet ruled out charges against those involved.

“I sincerely believe … [investigators are] going to say that this was an accident. It's tragic,” said Baldwin in a rare interview about the episode, a portion of which was aired on Friday.

Baldwin told CNN he had replayed the events leading up to the shooting over and over for the past 10 months.

While insisting he does not want to “condemn” Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film set's armourer and props assistant, Baldwin pointed the finger at her and assistant director Dave Halls, who handed him the gun moments before the shooting.

“Someone put a live bullet in the gun who should have known better,” Baldwin said.

“That was [Gutierrez-Reed's] job. Her job was to look at the ammunition and put in the dummy round or the blank round, and there wasn't supposed to be any live rounds on the set.

“There are two people who didn't do what they were supposed to do.

“I'm not sitting there saying I want them to, you know, go to prison, or I want their lives to be hell.

“I don't want that, but I want everybody to know that those are the two people that are responsible for what happened.”

Baldwin, who was both the star and a producer of Rust, has been the subject of a number of civil lawsuits over the shooting, including from Hutchins's family.

He has previously said he was told the gun contained no live ammunition, had been instructed by Hutchins to point the gun in her direction, and did not pull the trigger.

But a recent FBI forensic report concluded that the gun could not have been fired “without a pull of the trigger.”

Meanwhile, Ms Gutierrez-Reed has sued the film's ammunition supplier, accusing him of leaving real bullets among the dummy cartridges.

On Thursday, her lawyer criticised the FBI for failing to carry out DNA or fingerprint testing to establish who had handled the live rounds found on set.

“It is inconceivable that the sheriff would not seek answers to this fundamental question and it raises a serious problem with the entire investigation,” said a statement from Jason Bowles, lawyer for Ms Gutierrez-Reed.

Following Baldwin's latest interview, lawyers for both Gutierrez-Reed and Halls told CNN that the actor was trying to deflect blame away from himself.

Baldwin also used the CNN interview to address former US president Donald Trump's public intimation that he could have killed Hutchins on purpose.

Mr Trump last year told a podcast that Baldwin — who frequently impersonated and ridiculed the president on the comedy show Saturday Night Live — was a “troubled guy”, suggesting that “maybe he loaded” the gun.

The actor told CNN he was consequently worried that some of Mr Trump's supporters would “come and kill me”.

“Here was Trump, who instructed people to commit acts of violence, and he was pointing the finger at me and saying I was responsible for the death,” said Baldwin.

“There is just this torrent of people attacking me who don't know the facts.”