On-set drama, Alec Baldwin kills director of photography
On the basis of the police documents in the gun there were real bullets, but the actor did not know
It was actor Alec Baldwin who fired the prop gun that killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and wounded the director, Joel Souza, on the set of the western movie 'Rust', shot in New Mexico.
According to what the US media reported, based on police documents, there were live bullets in the gun used by the actor, but he did not know. The gun was handed to him by an assistant who told him it was safe to use. Both the assistant and the actor didn't know the ammunition was real.
According to a first affidavit based on the reconstruction of the Santa Fe County sheriff, the assistant director who had provided Baldwin with the gun had passed it to him as a "cold weapon," meaning no bullets. The five-page statement leaves many questions unanswered but makes it clear that not only Baldwin but also the assistant thought it was an unloaded gun.
A weapons specialist also enters the investigation who was present on the set and allegedly witnessed the tragedy and who would examine the weapon immediately after the shot.
Meanwhile, Rust Movie Productions, the film's production company, has also launched an internal investigation. "Safety is our priority," reads a statement. "While we are not aware of any on-set safety complaints, we would conduct an internal investigation into our procedures."
Baldwin: "I have no words to express my shock"
The actor was heard by the Santa Fe sheriff, local press reported citing the spokesperson. Images reported by the local Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper show the famous actor as he exits the sheriff's office standing on the side of the road, bent over with his hands on his knees.
Sheriff's office: Alec Baldwin discharged prop gun that killed crew member, wounded directorhttps://t.co/lBQ8Wpg08Z
— Santa Fe New Mexican (@thenewmexican) October 22, 2021
Alec Baldwin said he was "devastated" by Halyna Hutchins' death on set.
"I have no words to express my shock and sadness at the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, wife, mother and our deeply admired colleague": so, in a tweet, actor Alec Baldwin, on ' killing of Hutchins on the film set of the movie 'Rust'.
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— AlecBaldwin(HABF) (@AlecBaldwin) October 22, 2021
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. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and
The incident took place around two in the afternoon at Bonanza Creek Ranch, where some scenes of the western "Rust", of which Baldwin is producer and protagonist, were being shot.
The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office opened an investigation to find out what happened and what kind of bullet was in the gun; it is not known whether the shots were fired during filming or during a rehearsal. For now, no criminal charges have been made.
The production company has released a note saying it is "devastated" by what happened and offers psychological help to everyone who worked on the film. Shooting has been suspended indefinitely. The cast of Rust also includes Jensen Ackles, Brady Noon and Travis Fimmel.
MAJOR #UPDATE: @santafesheriff confirms actor and producer of #Rust, Alec Baldwin, discharged the prop gun on set that killed the film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins (42), and injured the film's director, Joel Souza (48). @KOB4
— Tessa Mentus (@TessaMentus) October 22, 2021
No charges have been filed. https://t.co/Mh13LXEwSh
According to the sheriff's spokesman, director Joel Souza is in "critical condition", hospitalized in intensive care. The production company specified that the weapon used had to be loaded with blanks, and it is therefore particularly strange that he was able to kill: and the investigation focuses precisely on the fired bullets.
"Alec Baldwin came spontaneously and answered some questions, providing clarification. At the moment no one has been charged or arrested," Sheriff's spokesman Juan Rios told AFP.
The filming location, a ranch often used as a set for westerns, has now been closed by the police. Souza's film featured Baldwin as a star as well as a co-producer. His role was that of an outlaw, Harland Rust, who wants to help his 13-year-old nephew sentenced to hang for murder.
