Topics: Alec Baldwin, Film and TV, US News, Crime
People on social media are shocked after coming across police interview footage with actor Jensen Ackles after realizing he was a witness in the Alec Baldwin Rust shooting.
In 2021, Baldwin was holding a firearm on the set of the film Rust, when the gun went off, hitting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Director Joel Souza was also shot in the shoulder, but he went on to later recover.
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Baldwin is set to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday.
In March of this year, the armourer responsible for weapons on the set of the film was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Whilst everyone knows that Baldwin was the star ad executive producer of the film, many were unaware that Jensen Ackles was set to be his co-star.
As the Supernatural and The Boys star was on set on the day of the shooting, Ackles was actually interrogated by New Mexico police.
The footage was posted on YouTube and TikTok, where fans were shocked to realise that the actor was even in the film, let alone a witness.
One comment read: “Had no idea he was even involved let alone an eye witness! Poor Jensen.” And another said: “This is the first time I heard that he was on that film!”
One comment pointed to another shocking fact raised in the footage.
It read: “I knew he was in the movie and on set, I did not know he was supposed to be the one Alex was supposed to fire upon later when they were going to actually shoot the scene.”
During his interview with police, Ackles described the scene that was being shot on the day - a shootout in a church between his character and Baldwin’s.
The gun went off whilst preparing for a close-up of Baldwin’s gun, but later in the day it would’ve been potentially shot at Ackles or one of his stunt doubles.
The actor was not in the church when the gun went off, but he described hearing the gunshot go off.
He said: “It just sounded different, a real round sounds different than a blank.
“I spun into the church, I saw Joel [Souza] down screaming, I saw Halyna seated, and her back was to me but I could see the blood pooling on her khaki jacket so I just started yelling medic.
“I stood back, I kicked myself for not running in there and doing something, but I don’t know what I would have done.”
Full footage of the interview, available on YouTube:
In comments on TikTok, one account said: “The fact that Jensen feels guilty for not doing something is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Whilst filming has been continued on Rust, Ackles has not returned to the project, with his role being replaced by Josh Hopkins.
Baldwin’s trial for manslaughter begins tomorrow, July 9.
