'Rust' Shooting Investigation Ongoing Despite Alec Baldwin Saying He's Been Cleared

The sheriffs department investigating last years fatal shooting on the set of the film Rust said Monday that its still gathering key evidence, throwing cold water on actor Alec Baldwin s recent claim that hes been cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Santa Fe County Sheriffs Departments investigation remains open and ongoing, the department said as it released files related to the investigation, including footage of the aftermath of the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

The sheriffs office in Santa Fe County, NM has released new footage of its investigation into the deadly shooting on the set of the movie Rust. Body cam video shows the frantic moments after the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. pic.twitter.com/IpSWECIjox

CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 25, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"CBS Evening News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"The sheriffs office in Santa Fe County, NM has released new footage of its investigation into the deadly shooting on the set of the movie Rust. Body cam video shows the frantic moments after the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. pic.twitter.com/IpSWECIjox CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 25, 2022\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":540,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1518723417410785282/img/T_R1SfQGVUN2yLg3.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":960,"title":"CBS Evening News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1518723478882504711","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"626724cbe4b0197ae3f9e983","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/alec-baldwin-rust-investigation-ongoing_n_626724cbe4b0197ae3f9e983","entryTagsList":"shooting,alec-baldwin,rust-film","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://action.news/entertainment","subcategories":"crime,celebrity","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/8a437a96-f4fc-4469-a48a-a67fbf99b442/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":3},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"626724cbe4b0197ae3f9e983","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":" shooting","slug":"shooting","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/shooting","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/shooting","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/shooting"},"relegenceSubjectId":6377432,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Shooting","slug":"shooting","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/shooting"},{"name":"Alec Baldwin","slug":"alec-baldwin","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/alec-baldwin","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/alec-baldwin","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/alec-baldwin"},"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Alec Baldwin","slug":"alec-baldwin","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/alec-baldwin"},{"name":"Rust film","slug":"rust-film","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/rust-film","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/rust-film","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/rust-film"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/rust-film"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

The sheriffs office in Santa Fe County, NM has released new footage of its investigation into the deadly shooting on the set of the movie Rust. Body cam video shows the frantic moments after the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. pic.twitter.com/IpSWECIjox
CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 25, 2022

According to Sheriff Adan Mendoza, various components of the investigation remain outstanding, including FBI firearm and ballistic forensics, DNA and fingerprint analysis, findings from the Office of the New Mexico Medical Examiner, and analysis of Baldwins phone data.

The investigation will not be handed over to the district attorneys office for review until that evidence is gathered, Mendoza said.

Baldwin, who was starring in and producing the film, released a statement from his attorney last week suggesting a report from the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau had cleared him of malfeasance on set.

We appreciate that the report exonerates Mr. Baldwin by making clear that he believed the gun held only dummy rounds, his lawyer wrote. Additionally, the report recognizes that [his] authority on the production was limited to approving script changes and creative casting.

Baldwin also maintains that he did not pull the trigger.

During and after production, the films crew complained that those at the helm of the project did not properly explain or enforce firearm safety on set . Investigators found that Baldwins fatal shot was the fourth time a prop gun had fired unintentionally during filming.

The unionized crew eventually walked off the set, citing a lack of firearms safety and medics, as well as poor COVID-19 protocols. Production also failed to provide hotel rooms near the remote filming location, forcing many crew members to commute for an hour on top of their 13-hour shifts, leaving them without adequate time to sleep.

The documents released Monday include text messages of the crews complaints, witness interviews and police officers lapel and dash-camera footage, but none establish how live ammunition got on set.

The newly released videos show Baldwins first conversations with police and investigators, both on set and at the police station. The actor is cooperative, asking that officers tell [him] what to do.

Other footage shows Hutchins and Souza on the ground following the shooting, as well as Souza recounting the ordeal from his hospital room.

The armorer handed the actor a gun, he said, referring to the on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed and Baldwin. I dont know if she said it was cold or clean, but she handed him a gun and there was a bang a louder bang than Ive heard come from a blank before.

Baldwins legal team did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on the sheriffs comments and files.