Prop gun used by Alec Baldwin was used by crew ‘for fun’
New claims about the prop gun shot by Alec Baldwin last week could add a shocking layer to the events leading up to the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Movies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Movies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The prop gun that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set had been used by crew members offsite for fun, a new report claims.
The gun, which was fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie Rust, may have even been loaded with live rounds when it was used for what was essentially target practice, TMZ reported.
Multiple sources connected to the production of the film told TMZ that the gun was fired at off-the-clock gatherings – which could explain how a live round found its way into the gun’s chamber.
Another source who was on set told the outlet that when cops arrived they found live ammo and blank rounds stored in the same area, where the fatal mix-up could have occurred.
Officials have not confirmed the claims, TMZ said.
On Thursday, officials responded to a call on the set of the western near Santa Fe, New Mexico after Baldwin had unknowingly fired a gun a live round, hitting 42-year-old Hutchins in the chest and killing her. Director Joel Souza, 48, who was standing behind her, was also injured.
Chaotic audio from the 911 call reveals the distressing moment script supervisor Mamie Mitchell pleads responders for help.
“We had two people accidentally shot on a movie set by a prop gun, we need help immediately,” Mitchell told an emergency dispatcher. ”We were rehearsing and it went off, and I ran out, we all ran out.”
The dispatcher asked if the gun was loaded with a real bullet, which Mitchell could not answer at the time.
In the call, she can be heard blaming the incident on the film’s assistant director David Halls. The role is typically in charge of ensuring guns are safe on movie sets.
Halls yelled out that the weapon was a “cold gun” before giving it to Baldwin, according to a search warrant issued on Friday.
“I cannot tell you. We have two injuries,” Mitchell replied.
“And this (expletive) AD (assistant director) that yelled at me at lunch, asking about revisions … He’s supposed to check the guns. He’s responsible for what happens on the set.”
Neither Halls nor Baldwin were aware that the gun contained live rounds, the warrant said.
Rust production sources told The Daily Beast that they questioned whether Halls followed proper procedure before the tragic incident.
No charges have been filed related to the incident.
Shock claims about on-set armourer
The movie armourer who allegedly laid out the loaded gun Baldwin was using had just completed her first film and was worried “she wasn’t ready”.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, whose first job was on the upcoming Nicolas Cage film, The Old Way, reportedly admitted in a podcast interview that she almost didn’t accept the job because she wasn’t sure if she was “ready” for it.
The reports come after a search warrant said Gutierrez-Reed laid out three prop guns on a cart outside the filming location for Rust. Unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, the first assistant director Dave Halls then allegedly grabbed the gun and handed it to Baldwin.
Further to this, it has since been claimed Gutierrez-Reed had previously handed a gun to a child while working on another movie.
Two production sources said Gutierrez-Reed’s last movie was briefly stopped after she allegedly gave a gun to an 11-year-old without checking it properly.
One source told The Daily Beast: “She was a bit careless with the guns, waving it around every now and again.”
The source, who worked alongside Gutierrez-Reed on the upcoming , continued: “There were a couple times she was loading the blanks and doing it in a fashion that we thought was unsafe.”
The armourer was described as being “inexperienced and green” by a Rust production source.
They explained that there were at least two previous incidents of guns being unsafely discharged by other crew members before the tragic incident on Thursday.
They insisted that she should have checked the weapons were safe before handing it to Baldwin.
Baldwin ‘hysterical’ after incident
It’s been revealed Alec Baldwin was “inconsolable for hours” after the fatal shooting on the set of his latest movie Rust, as the actor reportedly cancels all future projects.
The actor, 63, is looking “to take some time to himself and re-enter himself” after director of photography Halyna Hutchins was killed, and director Joel Souza was critically injured by the prop gun.
“This was pretty devastating,” a source told PEOPLE.
“Everyone knows this was an accident, but he’s absolutely devastated,” they continued.
The Hollywood star was seen with Halyna’s partner Matt and nine-year-old Andros on Saturday morning at a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Oscar-nominated actor and Matt shared a tight embrace before Baldwin hugged Halyna’s young son.
Matt had originally travelled to Albuquerque where his wife’s body was brought before travelling to Santa Fe with Andros, it’s reported.
Father and son stayed at the same hotel for at least a night before leaving on Saturday afternoon with their luggage.
Speaking about Baldwin, an eyewitness told the New York Post: “His body language was [that] of a beaten man, he was slumped, he looked aged.
“I thought at first he grabbed the (luggage) cart to help him walk because he looked so down.”
Matthew, who was married to Halyna for 16 years, had earlier tweeted a picture of his wife and son, writing: “Our loss is enormous.”
Shooting came hours after crew ‘walk out’
There has been an outpouring of dismay and anger from all levels of the industry that something like this happened.
Director James Gunn tweeted that his greatest fear is that “someone will be fatally hurt on one of my sets.”
He also said that “There is no way what happened on Rust could have happened if every single person followed the rules.”
Actor Alex Winter similarly tweeted, “Crew should never be unsafe on set, and when they are, there is always a clearly definable reason why.”
Echoing their concerns, it has since come out that before the fatal accident, a number of camera crew workers had walked off the set of Rust to protest working conditions amid safety concerns over the prop firearms, which had already misfired before Baldwin handled the weapon.
According to the LA Times, camera operators and assistants had complained about long hours, long commutes and trouble collecting their paychecks while working on the low-budget film.
Sources quoted by the publication said at least one of the camera operators had complained to production managers about gun safety on set.
Three crew members present at the Bonanza Creek Ranch set the day Halyna was killed also said they were particularly concerned about two accidental prop gun discharges earlier in the week.
According to the crew members, Baldwin’s stunt double had accidentally fired two rounds on Saturday after being told that the gun was “cold”.
One of the crew members who witnessed that episode told the Los Angeles Times, “There should have been an investigation into what happened.
“There were no safety meetings. There was no assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted to do was rush, rush, rush.”
Another colleague was so alarmed by the prop gun misfires he sent a text message to the unit production manager. “We’ve now had 3 accidental discharges. This is super unsafe,” he wrote, according to a copy of the message reviewed by The Times.
Firearm experts say it’s “abundantly clear” safety protocols on the set of Rust were not followed.
This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Prop gun used by Alec Baldwin was used by crew ‘for fun’
One huge problem with new Wicked movie
The two leads shine in this long-awaited movie adaptation of the musical Wicked – but there’s a noticeable problem on screen.
Actress brutally mocked over wild wedding
A Hollywood actress has been mercilessly mocked after she revealed the bizarre antics that occurred on her wedding day.