New reports made by the LA Times are revealing that the assistant director of the movie starring Alec Baldwin did not follow protocol. As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Alec Baldwin was handed a gun by assistant director David Halls after he announced “cold gun” to the set.
Baldwin was preparing to rehearse a scene from his new movie Rust in which he needed to unholster the prop gun and point it at the camera. However, before mocking the scene, the crew decided that they needed to reposition the camera due to a shadow. It was during that time that Baldwin, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and director Joel Souza decided to discuss the scene further amongst themselves.
It was then that the prop gun Alec Baldwin was holding fired, shooting Hutchins in the chest and Souza in the shoulder. Souza is recovering from his injuries, but sadly, Hutchin died as a result of hers. The bullet pulled from Souza’s shoulder confirmed it was a lead bullet.
According to additional reports, the prop gun given to Alec Baldwin was used in target practice earlier that day. However, because of that, protocol requires the armorer and the assistant director to double-check the guns to ensure no live rounds were left inside the firearms.
Affidavit Reveals Protocols Were Broken Before Alec Baldwin’s Prop Gun Discharged Killing Halyna Hutchins
It is now being revealed by the LA Times that did not happen. As Mamas Uncut previously reported, the armorer for the movie Hannah Gutierrez-Reed prepared a cart with the weapons before the rehearsal began. Halls then pulled the gun from that cart to give to Baldwin.
It is reported that both Gutierrez-Reed and Halls are expected to double-check the weapons, making sure they are safe before they are brought onto set. Halls has admitted he did not follow his portion of the protocol.
According to a search warrant affidavit filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday obtained by the Los Angeles Times, “Halls told investigators that he did not check all the rounds in the gun before it was handed to actor and producer Alec Baldwin — a major breach of safety protocol.” The affidavit further revealed that other crew members believed that the lead bullet that killed Hutchins was supposed to be a dummy round, which is often used on sets in close-up shots for effect.
The dummy rounds are designed to look like real bullets. In this instance, a crew member suggested that a dummy round was supposed to be used during this shot because the camera was positioned to look down the barrel of the gun Baldwin was holding.
Interestingly enough, the LA Times reports that in the affidavit, the armorer is reported saying that she did ensure “the ammunition intended for production were ‘dummies’ and did not include ‘hot’ rounds.” Gutierrez-Reed also was recorded telling investigators that live ammo was “never” kept on set.
But on October 27, investigators reported recovering upwards of “500 rounds of ammunition from the set,” which included “a mixture of ‘blanks, dummy rounds and what we are suspecting were live rounds,’” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told reporters.
Gutierrez-Reed also told investigators that after the prop guns were checked they were securely placed in a safe on a white prop truck that was protected by a combination only a few people on set know. From there, the guns were retrieved after lunch by property master Sarah Zachry. However, while the guns were securely locked up, Gutierrez-Reed alleged that the ammunition was not.
In addition to admitting he didn’t follow protocol, Halls said that his typical routine includes on-him “checking the gun barrel for ‘obstructions’ before Gutierrez-Reed opens the hatch of the weapon and spins its drum, which holds the rounds.” Hall said he cannot remember if Gutierrez-Reed spun the drum.
Halls admitted to thinking he saw three rounds and acknowledged that “he should have checked all of them, but didn’t.” As Mamas Uncut previously reported, earlier affidavits reported that Halls told the set the gun was “cold.” However, other crew members say it was Gutierrez-Reed who made the announcement.
In another statement today, authorities suggested it was too early to discuss if criminal charges will be brought at this stage of the investigation. They further revealed that while they cannot confirm Alec Baldwin’s whereabouts, he was not told he couldn’t leave the state of New Mexico and that he is still full cooperating with the police.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.