Alec Baldwin surrenders his phone in shooting investigation

Alec Baldwin has surrendered his mobile phone to authorities as part of the investigation into a fatal shooting on a New Mexico film set last autumn, a law enforcement official said.

Santa Fe county sheriff’s office spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin’s phone was turned over Friday to law enforcement officials in Suffolk County, New York, who will gather the information from the phone and provide it to Santa Fe county investigators, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

Sheriff’s office investigators in December obtained a search warrant for the phone’s contents in their investigation into the October 11 shooting on the Rust film set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Baldwin was an actor and co-producer, and the search warrant for his phone sought text messages, images, videos, calls or any other information related to the movie.

Authorities have said Baldwin’s prop revolver discharged a live round during a rehearsal, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin’s lawyer, Aaron Dyer, said his client had been co-operating with authorities throughout the course of the investigation, and the delay in providing information from the phone was no indication otherwise.

“Alec voluntarily provided his phone to the authorities this morning so they can finish their investigation,” Dyer said Friday in a statement.

“But this matter isn’t about his phone, and there are no answers on his phone.”

Baldwin, who has denied any wrongdoing in the shooting, said in an Instagram message on January 8 that New Mexico needed to go through New York law enforcement and that the process of specifying exactly what is needed took time.

“They can’t just go through your phone and take your photos, or your love letters to your wife, or what have you,” he said.

Baldwin has said he did not know the gun he was holding contained a live round when it went off. Investigators are trying to find the source of the live round.