Search warrant reveals grim details of 'Rust' shooting and final minutes of Halyna Hutchins
Actor Alec Baldwin was practicing pulling a revolver out of its holster and pointing it at the camera during rehearsal for the film "Rust" when director Joel Souza heard "what sounded like a whip and then a loud bang," according to an order from A record obtained by the Los Angeles Times on Sunday night that also provided grim new details about the final minutes of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' life.
In the just-released document, Souza said the weapon had been described to him as a "cold pistol," meaning it had no actual rounds. But the gun went off, hitting Hutchins in the chest and Souza in her right shoulder, according to an affidavit from the Santa Fe County, N.M., sheriff's detective used to obtain a search warrant. Hutchins was pronounced dead at an Albuquerque hospital.
Souza's statement to the detective offered a new window to Thursday's on-set shooting that left Hollywood reeling and calling for safer working conditions on the sets.
The shooting took place after six members of the film crew left the set after complaining to the production company about payment and housing, cameraman Reid Russell told Det. Joel Cano Russell and Souza's statements to the detective provided the most detailed chronology to date of how the tragedy unfolded.
The day started late because production hired a replacement camera crew and was working with a single camera, Souza told the detective.
Souza said three people were handling the gun for the scene: Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed, then Deputy Director Dave Halls, who turned the gun over to Baldwin, the affidavit says.
Due to COVID-19 security protocols, according to the affidavit, Gutiérrez Reed installed three backup pistols in a cart that was left outside the Bonanza Creek Ranch church stage, the focus of the search warrant. Halls was unaware that the pistol he handed to Baldwin contained actual cartridges, and Halls yelled "cold pistol," according to the affidavit.
Souza told the detective that the cast and crew had been preparing for the scene before lunch, but then took a lunch break outside the rehearsal area around 12:30 p.m. When they returned, Souza said he wasn't sure the gun would be rechecked, according to the affidavit. He also addressed the possibility of the cast or crew bringing live ammunition, which can include potentially dangerous blanks, on set.
"Joel said that as far as he knows, no one is checked for live ammunition on his person before and after the scenes are filmed," the affidavit reads. “The only thing that is checked are the firearms to avoid having live ammunition in them. Joel said there should never be live bullets near or around the scene. "
When they returned from lunch, a creeping shadow caused the camera to move to a different angle, Russell told the detective. As Baldwin explained how he was going to get the gun out of him and where he would place his arm, he unloaded, Russell said.
Souza said he was looking over Hutchins' shoulder when he fired the gun. Hutchins grabbed her around the waist, staggered backward, and "was helped to the ground," Souza told the detective.
Russell recalled hearing a loud bang, seeing Souza bloodied and hearing Hutchins say he couldn't feel her legs, the affidavit says.
The search warrant issued Sunday night allowed the seizure of all firearms, firearm components, used or unused ammunition (“either live ammunition or prop ammunition”), computer equipment, as well as all cameras and films or memory cards. The Sheriff's Office said it had taken blood, saliva, skin and hair samples, but did not reveal who the samples were from.
The shooting came after team members raised concerns about security conditions on set. Two members of the “Rust” crew told the L.A. Times that, less than a week earlier, a double had accidentally shot twice with a backup weapon after being told the weapon was "cold."
Rust Movie Productions said in a statement that the safety of its cast and crew is "the highest priority" and was unaware of the official complaints raised about gun safety and will conduct an internal review. On Sunday, the production company said it would shut down production on the film during the investigation, but did not rule out restarting it.
Hutchins' death follows other accidents that have occurred on other television sets and movies. Some in Hollywood and the wider community have called for the sets to no longer have operational firearms, especially as they could add fire effects in post-production. A California state senator has announced plans to propose legislation banning live ammunition and firearms capable of firing live ammunition in Hollywood productions in California.
