So was the 911 call after Baldwin's accident, are there possible culprits?
Today it was reported that the investigation into Alec's shooting focuses on the specialist in charge of the weapon and the assistant director who delivered it.
The police investigation into the fatal shooting with a prop pistol fired by Alec Baldwind during a shoot on Saturday focused on the specialist in charge of the weapon and the assistant director who gave it to the American actor.
Ukrainian-born cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, 42, was hit in the chest and died shortly after the incident in New Mexico Thursday, while director Joel Souza,
Police questioned Baldwin, who voluntarily cooperated, but has not pressed charges against him. Souza said in a statement Saturday that he was devastated by the loss of his friend and colleague. "She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented ... and always pushing me to do better," he told Deadline.
The pistol, which was supposed to have a blank cartridge, had a loaded cartridge instead, according to the affidavit filed by the sheriff's office to obtain a search warrant, local media reported.
The affidavit claims that Assistant Principal Dave Halls, identified as the man who handed the gun to Baldwin, yelled "cold weapon" as he did so. It is the language of the industry to indicate that a weapon has only one bullet. The court document says Halls did not know the gun was loaded.
Police are focusing on the exact sequence of events that brought live ammunition onto the set of Rust, a western set in the 19th century. In the phone call to the 911 emergency number immediately after the shooting, you could hear the shock and anger that was felt at the scene.
"We have two people who were accidentally shot with a prop gun - we need help right away," says the person calling a police officer.
"Was it loaded with a real bullet?" Asks the operator. "No ... I can't tell you," responds the caller. "This motherfucker is supposed to check guns, he's responsible for what happens on set."
Gun safety guidelines detailed by the Actors' Equity Association specify that "all loading of firearms must be carried out by the property owner, gunsmith, or experienced persons working under their direct supervision."
The guidelines recommend: "Before each use, make sure the weapon has been tested offstage and then test it yourself. Watch as the propmaster checks the cylinders and barrel to make sure no foreign objects or dummy bullets are caught. has lodged inside ".
Baldwin said Friday that he was heartbroken and that he was fully cooperating with the investigation into "how this tragedy occurred." He retweeted a story from Variety magazine titled "Alec Baldwin Was Told The Prop Gun Was Safe Before The Fatal Shooting, According To An Affidavit."
Super insecure
The pistol used, and two others, were provided by the film's weapons master, Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed, 24, the daughter of Thell Reed, a longtime film industry gunsmith.
In a September podcast, the young woman said that she had some trepidation about taking on the role of head gunsmith for the first time in the previous movie she worked on, The Old Way.
"I was very nervous at first and almost didn't take the job because she wasn't sure she was ready," she said on the Western Voices podcast, before adding, "But doing it, everything went very well."
Prosecutor Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement Friday that the case is in its preliminary stages, adding: "At this time, we do not know if charges will be filed."
The Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that there had been at least three failures in the prop pistol before the fatal accident, and that some members of the team had protested the working conditions.
The newspaper reported that at least one camera operator had sent a message to a production manager, saying: "There have already been three accidental discharges. This is super unsafe."
