'Rust' Shooting: Alec Baldwin Fires Back At George Clooney’s Gun Safety Comments

Actor Alec Baldwin disagrees with George Clooney, who said after the tragic 'Rust' shooting that he should have checked to see if the weapon was empty before firing it. In his first sit-down interview since the tragedy, the actor told ABC News that he didn't agree with Clooney's statements after the tragedy.

"There were a lot of people who felt it necessary to contribute some comment to the situation, which really didn't help the situation at all," said Baldwin. He further said, "If your protocol is you check the gun every time, well, good for you. I've probably handled weapons as much as any other actor in films with an average career. Again, shooting or being shot by someone," he continued. "And in that time, I had a protocol and it never let me down." On October 21, Baldwin was the one who shot the revolver that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

In the interview, Baldwin, however, confessed that he never pulled the trigger, but rather cocked it and "let go of the hammer" when it discharged. Meanwhile, Clooney compared the tragedy to the loss of his late friend Brandon Lee in a car accident while filming 'The Crow' in 1993. He said at the time, "I've been on sets for 40 years and the person that hands you the gun, the person that is responsible for the gun is either the prop or the armorer, period." He further said, "Now every single time I'm handed a gun on the set, every time they hand me a gun I look at it, I open it. I show it to the person I'm pointing it to, I show it to the crew. Every single take you had to back to the armorer when you're done," he explained.

Meanwhile, Baldwin stated that he has been told it is "unlikely" that he would face criminal charges, but he is still working with authorities. "I have nothing to hide," he stated.