On a New Mexico film set, Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cameraman with a revolver that a crew member had convinced him was safe, a terrible error that came hours after other workers walked off the job to protest working conditions and production concerns.
According to court filings made public Friday, during a Thursday rehearsal for the Western picture "Rust," an assistant director, Dave Halls, stole a pretend gun off a cart at a desert movie ranch and handed it to Baldwin.
Halls exclaimed, "Cold gun," indicating that the weapon didn't have any live bullets in it and was ready to discharge.
But it wasn't the case. When he squeezed the trigger, Baldwin unintentionally murdered 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her inside a wooden chapel-like structure.
According to a recording provided by the Santa Fe County Regional Emergency Communications Center, a 911 call alerted authorities to the shooting at the Bonanza Creek Ranch west of Santa Fe hints at the terror on the movie set.
"We had two people shot accidentally by a prop gun, and we need help right away," script supervisor Mamie Mitchell informed an emergency operator. "We were rehearsing when the alarm went off, and I, along with the rest of the group, bolted."
The dispatcher inquired as to whether the rifle was loaded with live ammunition.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you. Mitchell said, "We have two injuries." "And then there was this (expletive) AD (assistant director) who yelled at me at lunch and demanded revisions... He's meant to double-check the firearms. He's in charge of everything that happens on-site."
Halls did not respond to requests for comment via phone or email. On Friday, the Associated Press was unable to reach Hannah Gutierrez, the film's armorer, and other messages sent to "Rust" production companies went unanswered.
According to court filings, the gun used by Baldwin was one of three that Gutierrez had placed on a cart outside the building where a scene was being rehearsed. In a search warrant application, a detective said that Halls retrieved the pistol from the cart and brought it inside to the actor, unknowing that it was loaded with live rounds.
The number of shots fired was unknown. According to court records, Gutierrez retrieved a shell casing from the gun after the incident and handed it over to police when they arrived.
Film guns are occasionally actual weapons that can fire bullets or blanks, gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a noise but no deadly projectile.
Workplace safety investigators in New Mexico are looking into whether film industry rules for gun safety were followed during the filming of "Rust." The Los Angeles Times stated, citing two unnamed crew members, that Baldwin's stunt double accidentally discharged two live bullets five days before the shooting after being assured the gun didn't contain any ammunition.
"We've now had three accidental discharges," a crew member concerned about the misfires texted a unit production manager. According to a copy of the communication obtained by the publication, "this is extremely dangerous." Three former crew members told the New York Times that at least two previous unintentional weapons were fired.
The screenplay supervisor, Mitchell, told The Associated Press that she was standing close to Hutchins when the cinematographer was struck.
Mitchell stated, "I ran out and called 911 and said, 'Bring everybody, send everybody.'" "At the start of her career, this woman is gone." She was a one-of-a-kind, extremely unusual woman."
In a statement to NBC News, Souza, shot in the shoulder, said he was appreciative of the support he was receiving and devastated by Hutchins' death. "She was kind, vibrant, and incredibly talented," he wrote. "She fought for every inch of her life and always pushed me to be better."
According to Santa Fe-area District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, prosecutors are analyzing evidence in the incident, and it is unclear whether charges will be filed.
Baldwin, 63, who is best known for his roles in "30 Rock" and "The Hunt for Red October," as well as his "Saturday Night Live" portrayal of former President Donald Trump, has called the incident a "tragic accident." He worked as a producer on the film "Rust."
"There are no words to express my shock and sadness over the tragic accident that claimed the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother, and a colleague whom we greatly admired. "My heart breaks for Halyna's husband, their son, and everyone who knew and loved her." Baldwin remarked on Twitter, "I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation."
After the filming, production on "Rust" was halted. According to the Internet Movie Database website, the film is about a 13-year-old boy left to care for himself and his younger brother when their parents died in 1880s Kansas.
There had been allegations of set issues before the fateful rehearsal. According to one of the crew members who left, seven crew members walked out some hours before Hutchins was slain to express their dissatisfaction with concerns ranging from safety conditions to their lodgings.
According to a crew member who asked to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardizing his future career prospects, the skirmishes began shortly after filming began in early October.
According to a crew member, the crew was initially accommodated at the Courtyard by Marriot in Santa Fe. After four days, they were informed that they would be staying in the cheap Coyote South motel. Some members of the crew were hesitant to visit.
The walkout was also covered by the Los Angeles Times and Variety. Rust Movie Productions did not respond to requests for comment on Friday and Saturday.
There were additional issues to consider.
Even though crew and cast members frequently worked in small enclosed quarters on the ranch, very modest COVID-19 safeguards were followed, according to the crew member who spoke to the AP. He claims he never saw any formal training on the weapons used on set, usually done before filming begins.
The seven employees walked off the job due to a mixture of these issues.
The crew member stated the Thursday walkout, "We packed our gear and left that morning."
The film's armorer, Gutierrez, is the daughter of a well-known Hollywood guns specialist. In a September interview with the Voices of the West podcast, she revealed that she learned how to handle guns from her father when she was a teenager.
During the interview on the podcast. Gutierrez revealed that she had completed her first film in the capacity of chief armorer, "The Old Way," a project in Montana starring Nicholas Cage.
"At first, I was pretty scared about it, and I almost didn't take the position because I wasn't sure whether I was ready, but it went really well," she added.
Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, was murdered by a bullet left in a prop gun during a prior scene in another on-set shooting death from 1993. During historical re-enactments, similar shootings have occurred employing stage weapons loaded with live ammunition.
According to Steven Hall, an experienced director of photography in the United Kingdom, gun-safety policy on sets in the United States has improved since then. However, he claims that being behind the camera is one of the riskiest places to be in because that person is in the line of fire when an actor looks to point a pistol at the audience.
