Alec Baldwin was very careful with propeller guns before the 'Rust' accident according to the camera operator
Alec Baldwin was said to have been very careful with firearms on the set of "Rouiller" before the accidental shooting that killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Reid Russell, a cameraman who worked on the film set that day, noted to detectives in a recently released affidavit that Baldwin was very careful when it came to using firearms while filming before the incident.
According to the warrant affidavit, which was obtained by Fox News, Russell actually praised the 63-year-old actor for his conduct in an earlier scene involving the unloading of a gun. He noted that the actor observed all safety protocols and even made an additional recording with the crew to make sure no one was near him. Specifically, he made sure that a child who was on the set that day was not near him when he unloaded the gun.
Unfortunately, assistant director Dave Halls reportedly told Baldwin that the weapon he was working with when Hutchins was shot was a "cold pistol," a term used when a gun used on a set is not loaded with. live bullets. Unfortunately, it appears the gun was in fact loaded. When Baldwin pulled the trigger while working with Souza and Hutchins to prepare for a shot, it happened, resulting in one of the worst tragedies on the set. in recent memory.
In the warrant from the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, Souza explained that he heard "what sounded like a whip, then a loud pop," and noticed that Hutchins, behind whom he was standing at the era, had grabbed her stomach as she stumbled backwards. She was "helped on the ground" by other crew members and Russell remembers Hutchins saying she couldn't feel her legs.
“The safety of our cast and crew is a top priority for Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company,” Rust Movie Productions said in a multi-outlet statement. “While we have not been made aware of any official complaints regarding the safety of weapons or accessories on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and provision of mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time. "
Although police are currently investigating the incident, the failure appears to be linked to communication as to whether or not the gun was loaded with a live bullet. Film and prop historian Michael Corrie previously told Fox News that there are procedures in place on a film set to make sure that sort of thing doesn't happen.
“The person responsible for loading and making sure the firearm is ready for the scene is called a gunsmith [or weapons master], and you're supposed to have a gunsmith and an assistant gunsmith. Then there are several steps you're supposed to take to make sure a gun is loaded correctly with the right type of blank, ”Corrie explained. Because there is more than one type of blank, there is lower power, then medium power. then white at high power, and they create different visual effects. "
Speaking in the affidavit, Souza said three people were indeed handling the weapon for the scene. Armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed allegedly handled propeller pistols left on a cart outside the structure they were firing into due to coronavirus restrictions. Assistant director Dave Halls handed one of these pistols to Baldwin.
According to a Santa Fe court, Halls called it a "cold gun" before giving it to the actor. Therefore, it is not known at this time how a cartridge ended up in the revolver. Neither Souza nor Russell believed a live round was involved in the scene in question.
