Alec Baldwin was handed a loaded gun by an assistant director who indicated it was safe, shortly before the tragic accident that cost the life of director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, while filming a western film on a ranch. of Santa Fe. This was revealed by the first documents on the investigation released by the American media.
It emerged, however, that the gun control officer on the film set was a 20-year-old in her first assignment in that role. This was revealed by a document, obtained by the BBC, which lists the members of the crew who were expected on the set that day. According to investigators, assistant director David Halls did not know the weapon had live bullets before he handed it to Baldwin. Assistant Halls had handed the gun to Baldwin yelling “cold gun,” which meant the gun had no real bullets. At that point the actor shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the chest, killing her. While director Joel Souza, who was behind her, was injured.
Baldwin was interrogated by law enforcement and his bloodstained stage suit was acquired as evidence along with the gun. Investigators confiscated all weapons and ammunition present in the set, cameras and computer equipment, and clothing worn by the actors at the time of the shooting. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation “remains open” and no charges have been filed.
Alec Baldwin, the police: on the set the weapon loaded with real bullets, the actor did not know
by Anna Lombardi
According to the Los Angeles Times, which cites sources very close to the production, the weapon with which the actor killed Halyna Hutchins on the film set of ‘Rust’ had already been shot by mistake in the past. Standard firearm safety protocols in the film industry have not been followed with the necessary rigor. Last Saturday, the replacement for Alec Baldwin, the sources add, had fired two shots with the same gun which, even in that case, was reported as “cold”, ie without ammunition. “There should have been an investigation,” a member of the crew told the US news outlet, “there were no security meetings. There was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted was to hurry. , quickly, quickly “.
The investigation showed that the weapon contained blanks and only one true bullet. A few hours before the actor shot Hutchins, part of the film crew had left the set to protest the working conditions. The technicians were exasperated by the excessive hours, the long journeys to the set, and the back payments.
A member of the cameraman team also filed a complaint for non-compliance with safety protocols, and weapons safety procedures and Covid protocols not followed before filming were also disputed. The production company, Rust, noted in a statement that “the safety of our cast and crew is the top priority. Ed,” although we have not been notified of any official complaints regarding the safety of weapons or props on set. , we will conduct an internal review of our procedures while production is stopped. “
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