Actor Alec Baldwin deleted his Twitter account after the district attorney said he could still face criminal charges over the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, which immediately followed his sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos.
Though Alec Baldwin has two official Twitter accounts, the main account that he used to communicate mysteriously went offline over the weekend while the other @AlecBaldwl has remained inactive since October 19, before which it remained inactive since June. Baldwin famously issued his first statements from the Twitter account shortly after the tragic shooting.
“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours,” he tweeted. “I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”
Alec Baldwin moments after her shot Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on “Rust,” and director Joel Souza. Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP
Prior to the account’s deletion, Baldwin set his Twitter to private in November, limiting the view of his tweets to permitted followers.
During his sit-down interview with Stephanopoulos, Baldwin said that he does not believe criminal charges will be brought against him.
“I’ve spoken to the sheriff’s department multiple times,” Baldwin said. “I don’t have anything to hide.”
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On the Friday following his interview, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies clarified that it is still very possible for Alec Baldwin to be “criminally culpable” in Hutchins’ death depending on what the investigation yields.
“Certain individuals may be criminally culpable for his/her actions and/or inactions on the set of Rust,” Carmack-Altwies told Deadline.
Carmack-Altwies asserted that she will “exercise my prosecutorial discretion to its fullest, including filing charges that are supported by probable cause.”
The district attorney further clarified that “everyone” handling firearms on the set of Rust had a duty to follow safety protocols.
“Everyone involved in the handling and use of firearms on the set had a duty to behave in a manner such that the safety of others was protected, and it appears that certain actions and inactions contributed to this outcome,” Carmack-Altwies the attorney said.
Though Baldwin claimed to be working closely with the investigation, Santa Fe law enforcement are reportedly not happy with his decision to speak with the press. One source told Deadline the sheriff’s department felt “betrayed” by the Stephanopoulos interview.
“Interviewed immediately after the shooting and subsequently by the Sheriff’s Office, the Emmy winner has been asked to not comment on the shooting beyond condolences as the police’s investigation continues – requests Baldwin has acknowledged, but is clearly ignoring as he lays out his version of what went down that terrible day,” one source said.
Among other things, Alec Baldwin claimed during his interview that he did not pull the trigger when he shot Halyna Hutchins. He also said he feels no guilt over what happened.
I cock the gun and I go, ‘Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that?’ And I let go of the hammer of the gun and the gun goes off,” said Baldwin.
“I mean, I honest to God, if I felt that I was responsible, I might have killed myself,” he also said in the interview.