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Is Alec Baldwin shifting blame? Actor posts report on AD saying 'I should've checked'

The article shared by the Hollywood star, 63, cited a search warrant affidavit released Wednesday, October 27

Alec Baldwin sparked an uproar on social media after retweeting an article by the New York Times about how 'Rust' assistant director Dave Halls told officials he “should have checked” all the rounds while inspecting firearms on the movie set.

The article shared by the Hollywood star, 63, cited a search warrant affidavit released Wednesday, October 27, just days after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot by a supposed "prop firearm" being handled by Baldwin. 

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Halls reportedly told investigators he “could only remember seeing three rounds” when he inspected the gun, per the affidavit. “He advised he should have checked them all, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if (armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed) had spun the gun,” per the document released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

Joel Souza, the film's director, told investigators last week that Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the Western that saw him draw a gun and point it toward a camera before the tragedy befell. Meanwhile, Halls told authorities he didn't realize the gun was loaded and described the situation as "not a deliberate act."

Baldwin, however, drew the ire of gun proponents on social media after sharing the Times article. Some accused him of "shifting blame" in the aftermath of the shooting.

"Firearms come with a lot of responsibility. You can’t just trust what people say. You have to verify everything yourself when it comes to guns. You would have benefited greatly from a firearms safety training provided by the NRA," reporter Alana Mastrangelo tweeted.
 
"Is this your excuse? If you had an open mind and actually learned gun safety and the number 1 rule "treat every gun as if it were loaded" this woman might still be alive today," one Twitter user wrote.

"Yup. First rule of gun safety: Always treat a firearm as if it's loaded. Even if someone "checked it" for you! Anti-gunners have a deadly antipathy for gun safety!" a comment read.

"Already trying to cover your butt by shifting blame. How about telling us about the union crew getting fired for raising safety concerns. Was anyone on that non-union crew qualified in prop handgun safety? Was the money you saved worth that woman's life," another chimed in.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies confirmed Wednesday that no one has been ruled out from facing charges as the investigation proceeds. “We are not at the juncture yet,” Carmack-Altwies said at a press conference. “If the facts and evidence and law support charges, then I will initiate prosecution at that time.”

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said investigators believe there were additional live rounds on the movie's set that day. “We suspect that there were other live rounds, but that’s up to the testing,” Mendoza said at the press conference. “Right now, we’re going to determine how those got there, and why they were there, because they shouldn’t have been.” The sheriff said Baldwin, Halls, and Gutierrez-Reed are each cooperating with the investigation.

The '30 Rock' star, who is also a producer for 'Rust', previously shared a piece by Variety that cited an affidavit saying Halls had declared a "cold gun" was on set, indicating the firearm wasn't loaded. “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,” Baldwin tweeted Friday, October 22.