Alec Baldwin Rust on-set shooting: Damning claims about gun that was fired

A damning claim has emerged about the gun that Alec Baldwin fired on the set of his new movie, killing the film’s cinematographer.

A damning report has surfaced that the gun which fired a live round on the set of Alec Baldwin’s new movie, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, was also being used off-set as a recreational weapon for target practice.

TMZ, citing multiple sources connected to the Rust production, reported that the same gun was used in “off-the-clock shooting, allegedly happening away from the movie lot, being done with real bullets”.

TMZ posited this could be how a real bullet may have found its way into the weapon’s chamber. The site also reported a source claimed that when the police searched the set, they found live rounds and blank ammunition were being stored in the same area, which would be a serious breach of safety protocols.

The potential revelations could be a bombshell in the investigation into how Baldwin came to be firing a live weapon on the set of Rust, which had been handed to him and declared as a “cold gun”, which indicates the weapon contains neither live or blank ammunition.

Hutchins was struck in the chest and killed as a projectile passed through her and then hit director Joel Souza, who was injured and taken to hospital.

Santa Fe authorities confirmed the gun, which was not meant to have any live ammunition, had been fired by the actor.

TMZ reported multiple sources which claimed the Baldwin fired had been used in ‘target practice’ off-set. Picture: Valerie Macon/AFP

Halyna Hutchins was killed when she was struck by a projectile. Picture: Sonia Recchia/Getty

Earlier, Souza spoke for the first time since the fatal incident on the Santa Fe set in the US state of New Mexico.

Souza said in a statement to NBC News: “I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better.

“My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time.

“I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out. It will surely aid in my recovery.”

Joel Souza issued a statement in remembrance of his killed colleague. (Photo by Jim Spellman/Getty Images)

Souza wrote and was directing Rust, a 19th century western about an outlaw, played by Baldwin, who breaks his grandson out of jail after the teenager is convicted of an accidental killing.

According to reporting by the Los Angeles Times, the fatal incident occured on Thursday afternoon local time, on day 12 of a 21-day shoot, during a gunfight scene in which Baldwin’s character was to back out of the church.

Hutchins, Souza and a camera operator were huddled around a monitor, setting up the next shot. The LA Times said Hutchins was looking at the monitor from over the camera operator’s shoulder while Souza was crouched behind her.

The publication said a production source confirmed crew members had shouted “cold gun”.

Halyna Hutchins was one of the rare female cinematographers in the screen production industry.

The LA Times reported: “Baldwin removed the gun from his holster once without incident, but the second time he did so, ammunition flew toward the trio around the monitor. The projectile whizzed by the camera operator but penetrated Hutchins near her shoulder, then continued through to Souza.

“Hutchins immediately fell to the ground as crew members applied pressure to her wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.”

Hutchins, 42, was pronounced dead after she was flown to a nearby hospital after the incident. Souza, 48, was driven by ambulance to a different medical facility.

There has been an outpouring of grief for Hutchins since her death on Friday (AEDT). Her husband Matt Hutchins paid tribute to his wife and the mother of their nine-year-old son.

He wrote: “Halyna inspired us all with her passion and vision, and her legacy is too meaningful to encapsulate in words. Our loss is enormous, and we ask that the media please respect my family’s privacy as we process our grief.

“We thank everyone for sharing images and stories of her life.”

Mr Hutchins also thanked the American Film Institute for setting up a scholarship in his wife’s name to mentor aspiring female cinematographers, who are rare in the industry.

According to authorities, Alec Baldwin fired the gun which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

Earlier yesterday, Baldwin released a statement acknowledging his horror over what happened.

Baldwin, who is also a producer on the film, said: “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours.

“I’m fully co-operating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family.

“My heart is broken for her husband, their son and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

Baldwin was seen distraught after he was questioned and released by the Santa Fe police. Baldwin was questioned along with the production’s armourer, the person responsible for weapons on a set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24.

Baldwin has been seen at a New Mexico hotel in the company of Hutchin’s husband and son.

Alec Baldwin seen distraught after speaking to authorities about the Rust incident. Picture: Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican

The low-budget production had already been beset by reports of on-set safety concerns, including two previous “misfiring” incidents which were allegedly not investigated and disputes with the crew.

On the same day of the shooting, seven crew members packed up their personal gear and walked off the set after complaints about worker safety. The seven crew were members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union.

According to the LA Times, the crew were replaced with four non-union workers.

Among the complaints from crew was the production’s broken promise to provide hotel rooms in the Santa Fe area, instead requiring them to travel from Alberquerque, which is about an hour away.

Film productions typically work long days, with 15-hour days not uncommon, and are expected to return to set with little turnaround.

Deadline reported one of the crew who quit wrote on a private Facebook page, “We cited everything from lack of payment for three weeks, taking our hotels away despite asking for them in our deals, lack of Covid safety, and on top of that, poor gun safety!

“Poor on-set safety period! They brought in four non-union guys to replace us and tried calling the cops on us.”

Hollywood studios and the IATSE union only last week averted a stop-work strike that would’ve impacted almost the entire industry due to disputes over contract negotiations and minimum working conditions.

Among the conditions secured by the union was a minimum turnaround time of 10 hours.

The agreement has yet to be ratified and this incident may yet propel more change within the industry in crew conditions.

The production company behind Rust has announced an internal probe while Santa Fe authorities are also investigating.

In a statement, the movie’s production company, Rust Movie Productions LLC, said: “The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company.

“Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down.

“We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.”